Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one of the most common medical conditions in middle aged and older men. This study investigated the relationship between serum levels of sex hormones and measures of BPH in the aging male population of China. Prostate symptoms were assessed as part of a free health screening program for men ≥ 40 years of age. The examination included digital rectal examination, determination of serum prostate-specific antigen levels, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and transrectal ultrasonography. Serum levels of total testosterone (TT), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), free testosterone (FT), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin (PRL) and estradiol (E(2)) were evaluated. The men also completed a health and demographics questionnaire and received a detailed physical examination. The final study population consisted of 949 men with a mean age of 58.9 years. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that there were significant correlations between age and levels of all sex hormones except TT, and between age and prostate volume (PV; r=0.243; P<0.01) or IPSS (r=0.263; P<0.01). Additional significant correlations were found between IPSS and serum levels of LH (r=0.112; P<0.01) and FSH (r=0.074; P<0.05), but there were no significant correlations between sex hormone levels and PV. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed significant correlations between age and body mass index (BMI) with PV (P<0.0001). In addition, there was a significant correlation between age and PV with IPSS (P<0.0001). Serum sex hormone levels did not correlate with PV or IPSS. The effects of endocrine changes on measures of BPH in aging men require further investigation in longitudinal and multicenter studies that include patients with all severities of BPH.

Keywords: benign prostatic hyperplasia; International Prostate Symptom Scores(IPSS); sex hormone; testosterone

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