[Relation between benign prostatic hyperplasia and obesity and estrogen].

OBJECTIVE

There have been few reports on correlations between resection volume of benign prostatic hyperplasia, body mass index (BMI) and estrogen. This study was undertaken to evaluate the correlations.

METHODS

In this study, we considered 50 patients who had benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and underwent suprapubic prostatectomy (SPP). Men with prostate cancer or prior prostate surgery were excluded. The relationship between prostate resection volume and BMI was examined. Additionally, patients were divided into two groups according to BMI: less than 25, and more than 25. The two groups were evaluated according to stained estrogen receptors.

RESULTS

BMI was correlated positively with prostate volume (p < 0.01). However, positive rates of estrogen receptors showed no significant difference between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This was a study describing the relationship between BMI and prostate volume. Obesity has been hypothesized to be associated with BPH because of the endocrine changes in men that occur with age, including increased estrogen and decreased testosterone. Our findings suggest that estrogen may play a pathophysiologic role in benign prostatic hyperplasia. Further studies of large populations are needed to validate this assumption.