Body composition and serum prostate-specific antigen: review and findings from Flint Men's Health Study

Recent studies have suggested that obesity is associated with lower serum prostate-specific antigen levels, perhaps influencing the recommendation for prostate biopsy and potentially explaining part of the observed poorer prognosis among obese men. African-American men have the greatest rates of prostate cancer and are more likely to die of the disease, making early detection a priority in this group. We present findings from the Flint Men's Health Study, a study of African-American men, that are consistent with most studies suggesting that overweight men have prostate-specific antigen levels that are 0.15 to 0.30 ng/mL lower than those who are not overweight. We have coupled our results with a systematic review of publications in this area.