Health characteristics and sedentary behavior impact on prostate-specific antigen levels in a national U.S. sample

Independent of previously recognized clinical factors influencing prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (eg, age and race-ethnicity), sedentary behavior has recently been reported to be associated with higher PSA measurements. The extent of interaction of putative clinical factors with sedentary behavior and their impact on PSA levels is unknown. We examined the interaction of previously known PSA influencing demographic patient characteristics with patient sedentary behavior on PSA levels.

Data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Sedentary behavior was objectively measured using an accelerometer in 1690 participants who were included in the analytic sample. Multivariate linear regression analysis across potential clinical and biological modifiers of PSA levels were used to examine the association between sedentary behavior and PSA levels.

After controlling for covariates, a positive association between sedentary behavior and PSA was detected among distinctive patient groups, including non-Hispanic whites, overweight/obese subjects, hypertensive participants, and participants with evidence of diabetes and those reported to have benign prostate hypertrophy.

These results suggest that patients with distinct clinical characteristics engaging in sedentary lifestyles are likely to have higher PSA levels.