Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with benign prostate hyperplasia in men and with overactive bladder...

Metabolic syndrome plays a significant role in the development of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and overactive bladder (OAB). Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is accepted as the hepatic component of metabolic syndrome. This study investigated the association of NAFLD with BPH and OAB.

In total, 702 men with BPH and 529 women with and without OAB were recruited into the study in a cross-sectional risk factor analysis. All male and female patients were separated into two groups, with or without NAFLD. An overnight fasting blood profile was obtained and whole abdominal ultrasound was performed by a blinded radiologist in each patient to measure hepatic steatosis.

NAFLD was diagnosed in 387 (55.8%) of 702 men with BPH. Statistically significantly higher prostate volumes were found in men with NAFLD in comparison to without (p = 0.018). The female population included 207 women with NAFLD and 322 women without. OAB was found in 75.8% and 52.4% of women with and without NAFLD (p = 0.022).

NAFLD is associated with BPH in men and with OAB in women. These findings confirm the hypothesis that BPH is an aspect of the metabolic syndrome and support the hypothesis that OAB is an aspect of the metabolic syndrome.