Which obesity index best correlates with prostate volume, prostate-specific antigen, and lower urinary tract symptoms?

OBJECTIVE

To determine which measurement variable, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is most closely related to the prostate volume (PV), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

METHODS

Between January 2010 and September 2011, 1632 consecutive ostensibly healthy Korean men aged 40-69 years who visited our clinic for a prostate checkup were enrolled into the study. Exclusion criteria included pyuria, history of lower urinary tract disorder influencing urination, and a high PSA level of >3.0 ng/mL. All men underwent a detailed clinical evaluation using the International Prostate Symptom Score (I-PSS) questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were determined. Serum PSA, urinalysis, and transrectal ultrasound were also performed.

RESULTS

Data from 1601 men were analyzed. The mean age was 51.6 years, WC 83.7 cm, BMI 24.8 kg/m(2), PV 24.6 mL, and the mean PSA level was 1.07 ng/mL. Using multivariate analysis, PV most positively associated with WC (P < .001), while PSA level had negatively associated with BMI (P = .036) and no significant association with WC or WHR was noted. There was no significant relationship between various obesity indexes and I-PSS.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data showed that PV positively associated with central obesity, as represented by WC. In contrast, serum PSA negatively associated with BMI, which represented overall obesity (ie, hemodilution). Our data also suggested that obesity is not associated with lower urinary tract symptoms in Korean men.