Obesity, metabolic health linked to urological disorders

Obesity and metabolic health, either individually or in combination, contribute to the development of urological disorders related to voiding, a recent study has found.

Drawing from Korea’s National Health Insurance System, the researchers accessed data of 2,227,856 people who were metabolically healthy and nonobese (MHNO), 375,836 who were metabolically unhealthy but nonobese (MUNO), 693,078 who were metabolically healthy but obese (MHO), and 582,679 who were both metabolically unhealthy and obese (MUO).

After adjusting for age and sex, benign prostate hyperplasia was significantly more likely to develop in MUNO (hazard ratio [HR], 1.185, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.176–1.195), MHO (HR, 1.132, 95 percent CI, 1.123–1.141), and MUO (HR, 1.293, 95 percent CI, 1.284–1.303) participants than the MHNO comparators.

Metabolic health and obesity had a similar, even more pronounced impact on the risk of chronic renal disease (vs MHNO; MUNO: HR, 2.055, 95 percent CI, 2.017–2.094; MHO: HR, 1.114, 95 percent CI, 1.089–1.139; MUO: HR, 2.084, 95 percent CI, 2.048–2.12).

Similar effects of metabolic health and obesity were reported for neurogenic bladder, stress incontinence, prostatitis, and cystitis.

In turn, participants with compromised metabolic health or with obesity were also significantly more likely to undergo surgical procedures, such as prostate hyperthermia, cystotomy, and anti-incontinence surgery, than the MHNO reference. Medication use, including alpha-blockers and antidiuretics, was also more common among the MUNO, MUO, and MHO subgroups.

“Obesity and metabolic health were individually or collaboratively involved in urological disorders related to voiding dysfunction. Metabolic healthy obesity needs to be distinguished in the diagnosis and treatment of urological disorders,” the researchers said.