Insulin-resistance and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: the Connection

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a highly prevalent disease in the aged men population characterized by augmented cell proliferation and contractility of the prostate gland. Prior studies have demonstrated the relationship between BPH and insulin-resistance syndrome. During insulin-resistance, hyperinsulinemia develops to combat the decreased responsiveness of the body towards insulin. Although, the compensatory hyperinsulinemia prevents development of fasting hyperglycemia in insulin-resistant individuals, the increased level of circulating insulin directly and/or indirectly affects different molecular signaling and can promote prostatic growth. Insulin-resistance syndrome includes group of disorders, such as obesity, dyslipidemia, sympathetic overactivity, hyperinsulinemia and each individually reported as risk factor for the development of BPH. The present review describes the inter-relationships between different insulin-resistance associated factors and their possible involvement in the pathogenesis of BPH.