Metabolic Syndrome Raises BPH Risk
PARIS—Metabolic syndrome increases a man's risk of developing benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and the risk of prostatic inflammation in men who have BPH, according to reports at the 27th Annual Congress of the European Association of Urology.
In a study of 486 men, Kuo-Jen Lin, MD, and colleagues at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Gueishan, Taiwan, demonstrated that metabolic syndrome is associated with a twofold increased risk of BPH after adjusting for age. In addition, each 1-unit rise in PSA level above a level of 1.0 ng/mL was associated with a significant 1.8 times increased risk. Compared with men who had a waist circumference above 90 cm, those with a greater waist circumference had a significant twofold increased risk.
Study subjects had a mean prostate volume of 26.43 mL, a mean body mass index of 25.27 kg/m2, and mean wait circumference of 90.81 cm.
In the second study, Italian investigators led by Mauro Gacci, MD, of the University of Florence, reported data suggesting that the presence of metabolic syndrome in men undergoing surgery for BPH independently predicts development of moderate-to-severe prostatic inflammation. After adjusting for age, metabolic syndrome was associated with a 3.1 times increased risk for moderate-to-severe prostatic inflammation. Of the various components of metabolic syndrome, decreased HDL levels and elevated triglycerides were the most important predictors of moderate-to-severe prostatic inflammation, raising the risk by 3.7 and 3.3 times, respectively, according to investigators.
