Prostate pills increase diabetes threat by a third

MEN taking medication for an enlarged prostate are up to a third more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, a study shows.

Patients with prostate problems are commonly prescribed drugs called 5-alphareductase inhibitors that reduce the production of hormones called androgens.

These help treat symptoms such as reduced urinary flow, prevent bladder damage and reduce the need for surgery.

But researchers from Edinburgh University and University College London found they may alter the body’s response to insulin, making the patient more prone to diabetes.

Scientists studied records from 55,000 men in the UK prescribed 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors over an 11-year period.

The drugs, which include finasteride and dutasteride, were linked to an increase in risk of developing type 2 diabetes of about one third. This means that if 500 men were on this treatment for 20 years, 16 extra cases of diabetes would be likely to develop, according to the findings published in the British Medical Journal.

The team saw similar results when they repeated the study using the health records of a group of Taiwanese men.

Professor Ruth Andrew, of Edinburgh University, and senior author of the study said: ‘These findings will be particularly important for health screening in older men already at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.’

Dr Li Wei, of UCL, said patients should not stop taking the medication but talk to their GP, adding: ‘It is important that all patients are made aware of the risks and benefits of their medications.

‘Men should be alerted to the increased risk of diabetes if they are taking these particular medicines... and should speak to their doctor if they are concerned.’

It is thought as many as half of all men over the age of 50 are affected by an enlarged prostate. Previous studies had suggested these drugs might affect metabolism and could reduce the body’s response to insulin, an early sign of type 2 diabetes.

Cases of type 2 diabetes have doubled in the past 20 years, from 1.9million to 3.7million. One million more people are thought to be unaware they are living with the condition, which is strongly linked to obesity.