[Epidemiological study on diet, smoking and alcohol drinking in the relationship to prostatic weight]

There have been no epidemiological studies on the relationship between the prostatic weight and blood examination data. This study was carried out to evaluate this relationship.

Blood examination (beta-carotene, GOT, GPT, total cholesterol, etc.) and measurement of the prostatic weight were performed in 432 subjects aged 50 years or more of a town in Japan, and the possible relationship between blood analysis data and the prostatic weight was evaluated. The prostates were examined by transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) and classified into the normal prostate and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The prostatic weight was measured by Watanabe's method based on TRUS images. In addition, the possible association between the prostatic weight and smoking, drinking, height, body weight, or age was evaluated.

Analysis by the logistic procedure and the general linear models procedure showed a significant positive correlation between the normal prostatic weight and beta-carotene, height, as well as body weight and a significant negative correlation between the normal prostatic weight and smoking. Comparison between subjects with the normal prostate and those with BPH suggested that serum beta-carotene is a significant positive risk for BPH, and HDL-cholesterol, drinking, and smoking are negative risks by logistic procedure analysis.

It was thought that serum beta-carotene and smoking are associated with the development of BPH.