Private MD News

Lowering cholesterol may improve prostate health

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

The findings of a new study indicate that high cholesterol levels may increase the chances that a man will experience benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), suggesting that they may be able to significantly improve their prostate health through cholesterol testing.

BPH may begin as a simple inconvenience for men. Initially they experience urinary symptoms. However, it can progress to symptoms that are far more painful and can seriously impact quality of life.

Researchers from Children's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts used a hamster model to study the connection between the condition and high cholesterol. They found that traditional cholesterol-lowering drugs were just as effective at reducing the symptoms of BPH as prostate medications. When the two therapies were combined, they were even more effective.

"We don't know the mechanism, but the results suggest to us that lowering cholesterol has the potential to reduce BPH in men," said Keith Solomon, PhD, who led the study. "This brings up the possibility that other cholesterol lowering therapies, including exercise and diet, may prevent BPH from developing."