title: Macronutrients, fatty acids, cholesterol, and risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To better understand the role of specific macronutrients on the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), we used data from an Italian case-control study. Although BPH is extremely common among the elderly, its etiology-and, particularly, the role of diet and specific macronutrients-is still unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  A case-control study of 1369 patients with BPH and 1451 controls, admitted to the same hospitals for a wide spectrum of acute, non-neoplastic conditions, was conducted in Italy. The subjects' usual diet was investigated through a validated and reproducible food frequency questionnaire. Multivariate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained after allowance for energy intake and other potential confounding factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant direct relation was observed between starch intake (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.99 for highest quintile compared with lowest one), and an inverse relation was observed for polyunsaturated fatty acids (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.93), linoleic acid (OR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.94), and linolenic acid (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.54 to 0.93).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest a role for specific macronutrients in the risk of BPH, including, in particular, an unfavorable effect for starch and a beneficial one for polyunsaturated fatty acids.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Epidemiologia, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milan, Italy. bravi@marionegri.it
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bravi
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bosetti
authors.forename: Luigino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dal Maso
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Talamini
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montella
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ramazzotti
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids