To investigate the relationships among the cardiovascular risk factors, prostate blood flow, and prostate volume in patients with clinical benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

A total of 130 patients with the clinical diagnosis of BPH were recruited. The presence of 5 cardiovascular risk factors, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and a history of cardiovascular events, was recorded. The urologic evaluation included digital rectal examination, serum prostate-specific antigen, International Prostate Symptom Score, and transrectal ultrasonography. Doppler spectrum analysis was performed with the patient in the right lateral decubitus position to measure the blood flow in the prostate capsular arteries, periurethral arteries, and neurovascular bundles. The correlations were analyzed between the resistive indexes of the prostatic branches and the cardiovascular risk factors, as well as the transrectal ultrasound findings.

The resistive indexes of the periurethral arteries and right neurovascular bundles showed positive correlations with the number of cardiovascular risk factors in the patients (r = .228, P = .01 and r = .225, P = .011, respectively). The periurethral artery resistive index also correlated positively with both prostate and transitional zone volumes, with the capsular artery correlating positively only with the latter. No significant correlations were noted between the resistive indexes and the International Prostate Symptom Score.

Prostate vascular resistance in patients with BPH has positive correlations with cardiovascular risk factors and prostate size. These findings suggest that prostate hypoxia might play a role in the pathogenesis of BPH.