Metabolic syndrome components may influence LUTS/BPH

By Joanna Lyford, Senior medwireNews Reporter

Abdominal aortic calcification and visceral fat obesity each seem to influence lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), study findings suggest.

These effects may be related to overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, although the precise pathways remain to be elucidated, write the researchers in International Urology and Nephrology.

Recent research has implicated the metabolic syndrome in the aetiology of both LUTS and BPH, possibly because components of the metabolic syndrome cause autonomic sympathetic overactivity.

To investigate further, researchers led by Seiji Matsumoto (Asahikawa Medical University, Hokkaido, Japan) measured abdominal aortic calcification and visceral fat obesity in 250 men with LUTS associated with BPH.

The men’s mean age was 72.4 years and mean body mass index (BMI) was 23.5 kg/m². Mean total International Prostatic Symptom Score (IPSS) was 13.0, mean quality of life index score was 4.5 and mean total Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OBSS) was 2.6.

Correlation analysis revealed that BMI was significantly associated with participants’ age, aortic calcification index and visceral fat area. Additionally, aortic calcification index, voided volume and visceral fat area each significantly correlated with age.

Visceral fat area also correlated with the nocturia score on the IPSS and the frequency score on the OBSS. Notably, however, there was no relation between BMI, LUTS and clinical parameters.

Matsumoto and his co-authors suggest that visceral obesity – which is known to cause autonomic sympathetic overactivity – might “influence storage symptoms, possibly through an interaction with the sympathetic nervous system.”

Additionally, their results indicate that abdominal aortic calcification might influence bladder capacity.

“Although abdominal aortic calcification and visceral fat obesity seem to affect the overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system and therefore have an influence on LUTS/BPH, interrelationship among arteriosclerosis, visceral fat obesity, and LUTS/BPH remains to be further elucidated,” they write.

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