Body mass index does not predict prostate-specific antigen or percent free prostate-specific antigen in men undergoing prostate cancer screening

ObjectivesBody mass index (BMI) may alter serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) and percent free PSA (%fPSA) and may mask the risk of prostate cancer. We investigated the relationship between BMI and PSA or %fPSA.Materials and methodsHeight, weight, PSA and %fPSA were assessed in 616 consecutive screened men without prostate cancer. Continuously coded and categorised BMI was studied. Statistical analyses consisted of ANOVA, linear regression, bivariate and partial correlations.ResultsMedian age was 57 years. Median PSA was 1.0 and median %fPSA was 26. Median BMI was 25.8 kg/m². Neither continuously coded nor categorised BMI correlated with either PSA or %fPSA in unadjusted or age-adjusted analyses (all p values ⩾0.3).ConclusionsBody mass index does not affect PSA or %fPSA in men without known prostate cancer, who undergo prostate cancer screening. Therefore, PSA or %fPSA-based screening or early detection efforts do not require an adjustment for BMI.