Hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and the risk of BPH/LUTS severity and progression over time in community dwelling black men: the Flint Men's Health Study.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the associations between fasting serum glucose, insulin concentrations, and insulin resistance and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in a population-based cohort of African American men.

METHODS

Using the Flint Men's Health Study (FMHS), we examined how fasting serum glucose and insulin concentrations and calculated Homeostasis Model of Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) related to burden and progression of clinical markers of BPH in African American men aged 40-79 years.

RESULTS

Among 369 men at baseline, mean age was 56.6 years and approximately 70% were overweight/obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥25 kg/m(2)). One hundred forty-eight men (34.4%) reported moderate to severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) (American Urological Association Symptom Index [AUASI] ≥8). There were no significant trends of metabolic disturbances as measured by serum glucose, insulin, or HOMA-IR in men with indications of BPH compared to those without.

CONCLUSION

In this population-based study of African American men aged 40-79 years, we did not observe any significant associations between hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance and burden and progression of BPH after adjustment for age and BMI. This may be due, in part, to the single measurement of glucose and insulin, which may not adequately reflect average glucose metabolism. Further studies examining measures of long-term glycemic control and BPH in racially diverse populations are warranted.