Association of serum uric acid levels with benign prostatic hyperplasia in US men: results from NHANES 2005-2008.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The relationship between uric acid (UA) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is controversial and has rarely been studied in American populations. METHODS: Data from two cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, comprising data from 2005 to 2008, were used. The majority of BPH were identified by self-report. We investigated the relationship between UA and BPH using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: 2,845 participants were enrolled in the study, including 531 participants with BPH and 2,314 controls. After fully adjusting for all confounders, the risk of developing BPH was reduced by 18% for every 100 µmol/L increase in UA (OR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.69-0.97, p = 0.023). Participants in the highest quartile of UA were found to have a reduced likelihood of developing BPH (ORQ4vs1 = 0.61, 95% CI 0.41-0.91) in comparison to those in the lowest quartile of UA. Subgroup analyses found that among those younger than 60 years, non-Hispanic whites, former smokers, heavy drinkers, those without diabetes, or those with hypertension, high UA remained negatively associated with BPH. CONCLUSIONS: The above results suggest that UA may be a potential protective factor for BPH, but the mechanism needs to be further explored.