Prostate Health Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Glucose, Height Linked to Enlarged Prostate

(iVillage Total Health) - Men who are tall or who have high blood sugar may be more likely to experience prostate enlargement, researchers report.

Enlargement of the prostate gland, also known as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), is common in men as they enter middle and old age. BPH is not cancerous but can interfere with urination, cause urinary tract infections and damage the kidneys.

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center investigated how metabolic factors and body types may influence BPH. They studied 1,206 participants in the Air Force Health Study, with an average follow-up of more than 15 years.

They found that the median age for diagnosis of BPH was 58.6 years. Increasing age, height and fasting blood sugar levels were linked to increased risk of BPH. Greater systolic blood pressure, though associated with other health problems, appeared to lower the risk.

Several previous studies have found overweight or obesity to be a risk factor for BPH, but this one did not. Nor did metabolic syndrome, levels of blood fats or levels of thyroid hormones appear to play a role.

Previous research has linked hyperglycemia to BPH, but the association with height may be a new finding.

"It is entirely plausible that taller men have proportionally larger prostates. Thus, a positive relationship between height and BPH is not unexpected and is biologically plausible," the researchers wrote.

The study was reported in a recent issue of the journal Urology.

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