The Health Professionals Follow-Up Study was the source of the 33,344 participants, who averaged 53 years old at the inception of the study in 1986. The men completed questionnaires biennially from 1986 and 1993, in which they provided detailed dietary information as well as information on prostate health. A total of 3523 men were identified in 1993 as having BPH, defined according to whether they had experienced severe urinary tract symptoms, had an enlarged prostate detected by digital-rectal exam, or had had surgery for an enlarged prostate. Information on their consumption of energy, fat, protein (both animal and vegetable), and carbohydrate was arranged according to quintiles from very low intakes to very high intakes. The risk for developing BPH rose with quintiles of dietary energy consumption, so that men in the highest quintile had nearly one and a half times the risk of men in the lowest quintile. Additionally, total protein intake, especially animal protein, modestly increased the risk of BPH, and certain polyunsaturated fats from vegetable sources and fish oils also showed a small increase in risk. The authors suggest several roles for diet in the development of BPH, including enhanced abdominal obesity due to a high calorie diet and increased consumption of polyunsaturated fats. The associations of diet with BPH were modest and warrant further investigation because some dietary elements such as fish oils may be beneficial in preventing heart disease.
In an accompanying editorial, Heber discusses the effect of diet on hormonal balance and BPH risk in older men. He proposes that certain aspects of the typical Western diet, such as a low amount of fruits and vegetables and a higher proportion of energy from animal fats, may explain the epidemiological evidence linking Western dietary patterns to a higher risk of BPH.
Suzuki, Sadao et al. Intakes of energy and macronutrients and the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Am J. Clin Nutr 2002;75:687-97.
Heber, David. Prostate enlargement: the canary in the coal mine? Am J Clin Nutr 2002;75:605-6.
This media release is provided by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition to provide current information on nutrition-related research. This information should not be construed as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, consult your doctor. To see the complete text of this article, please go to:
http://www.faseb.org/ajcn/April/12907-Giovannucci.pdf
or
http://www.faseb.org/ajcn/April/13515-Heber.pdf
For more information, please contact: hpelg@channing.harvard.edu or dheber@mednet.ucla.edu
Journal
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition