title: Body mass index and risk of BPH: a meta-analysis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Epidemiological studies have reported conflicting results relating obesity to BPH. A meta-analysis of cohort and case-control studies was conducted to pool the risk estimates of the association between obesity and BPH.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eligible studies were retrieved by both computer searches and review of references. We analyzed abstracted data with random effects models to obtain the summary risk estimates. Dose-response meta-analysis was performed for studies reporting categorical risk estimates for a series of exposure levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 19 studies met the inclusion criteria of the meta-analysis. Positive association with body mass index (BMI) was observed in BPH and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) combined group (odds ratio=1.27, 95% confidence intervals 1.05-1.53). In subgroup analysis, BMI exhibited a positive dose-response relationship with BPH/LUTS in population-based case-control studies and a marginal positive association was observed between risk of BPH and increased BMI. However, no association between BPH/LUTS and BMI was observed in other subgroups stratified by study design, geographical region or primary outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The overall current literatures suggested that BMI was associated with increased risk of BPH. Further efforts should be made to confirm these findings and clarify the underlying biological mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011470:Prostatic Hyperplasia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012306:Risk