Meta-analysis of metabolic syndrome and benign prostatic hyperplasia in Chinese patients

To investigate the impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), focusing on MetS and its relationship with prostate volume and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in Chinese patients by performing a meta-analysis.

We systematically searched the PubMed, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and VIP databases from inception to November 2014. All studies investigating the impact of MetS on prostate volume and PSA among BPH patients were included. Pooled mean difference (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to analyze the difference between patients with MetS and those without MetS.

Sixteen studies enrolled 1895 BPH patients, of whom 2224 had MetS. Compared with those without MetS, BHP patients with MetS had significantly higher total prostate volume (WMD 10.15 ml; 95% CI 7.37-12.93) and serum PSA level (WMD 0.53 ng/ml; 95% CI 0.17-0.88), respectively. In addition, annual prostate growth rate in patients with MetS was higher (WMD 0.49 ml/year; 95% CI 0.24-0.73) than in those without MetS.

This meta-analysis supports that the presence of MetS increases total prostate volume and annual prostate growth rate in Chinese BPH patients. Future studies are needed to explain the detailed underlying mechanisms.