Obese men prone to prostate cancer —Study

Experts have warned that waist circumference may be used as a preliminary screening tool to detect an elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and thus increase suspicion of prostate cancer, especially in the elderly group.

In a new survey, researchers found that overweight men had significantly higher PSA levels than underweight, normal and obese.

In addition, the pre-diabetes subgroup also had a higher PSA than diabetes and those with normal blood sugar levels.

Given that obese men may have lower baseline prostate-specific antigen (PSA), they declared that they may be at a higher risk for having prostate cancer undetected in a prostate-specific antigen screening test.

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The researchers in the American Journal of Medicine and Medical Sciences, therefore, caution when interpreting PSA screening test in this community.

For the study, the researchers had screened healthy 352 Hausa men, including peasant farmers, traders, artisans and middle cadre civil servants, from Jigawa State with an average age 39.6years.

These were men with no symptoms of urinary obstruction, not on drugs that may temper with PSA levels or that had undergone prostate biopsy or surgery.

Age and waist circumference were found to be higher in those with high PSA levels. Also, the overweight had significant high PSA levels whereas obesity had the lowest.

The researchers said that the implication of this result is that waist circumference may be used as a preliminary screening tool to detect elevated PSA and thus increase suspicion of prostate cancer, especially in the elderly group.

They said it was imperative to engage the community members on health education and awareness programme to educate them on dangers associated with obesity and diabetes especially with regards to morbidity and mortality of chronic medical conditions including prostate cancer.

Elevated PSA concentrations are connected with three most common prostatic diseases, including prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostatitis.

It is also affected by many factors that may be unrelated to prostate disease, including familial, age and race.  The prostate enlarges with age and contains more PSA-producing tissue.