Contents:
- Medical Video: When its not Cancer: The Enlarged Prostate
- PSA at a glance
- Why can PSA levels rise?
- 1. Age
- 2. BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)
- 3. Prostatitis
- 4. Ejaculation
- 5. Take medication or medical action
- 6. Parathyroid hormone
Medical Video: When its not Cancer: The Enlarged Prostate
PSA levels are often used to detect prostate cancer in men. However, this PSA level does not always indicate prostate cancer, you know! There are a number of conditions that actually affect the results of PSA levels. What are the causes of high PSA levels? Come on, see the following review.
PSA at a glance
PSA (Prostate Specific Agent) is a protein produced by the prostate gland. Because PSA levels are mostly influenced by various factors, PSA also cannot be used as an indicator of good prostate health. Usually the doctor will see PSA levels along with other risk factors, or other levels of measurement in the body, as well as family history.
Why can PSA levels rise?
1. Age
PSA levels can increase as a person ages. This increase is due to the growth of prostate tissue as we get older. At the age of 40, the normal PSA is 2.5, at age 60, the limit reaches 4.5 and at age 70 PSA reaches 6.5 is considered normal.
2. BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia)
BPH is an enlarged prostate gland, but this is not prostate cancer. BPH is a condition in which prostate cells increase. The more cells in the prostate gland, the more cells that produce PSA. BPH is a problem that often occurs in men under the age of 50 years.
A man who has BPH experiences a disruption in urinating. If not treated, this condition affects kidney function. Enlargement of the prostate gland is likely due to changes in hormone levels as we get older.
3. Prostatitis
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate. Usually this case occurs in men under 50 years and is often caused by a bacterial infection. Prostatitis causes swelling, and irritation of the prostate gland. Symptoms that are usually found are lower back pain or abdominal pain, pain during urination, and difficulty urinating. Inflammation that occurs in the prostate gland will increase PSA levels in the body.
4. Ejaculation
Based on research involving 60 healthy men, there is a close connection between ejaculation and PSA levels in the body. Apparently, the most visible increase in PSA occurred one hour after ejaculation. The tendency of this high PSA level occurs 24 hours after ejaculation.
However, further research is still needed to explain the effects of ejaculation on PSA. If you want to do a PSA test, consider not engaging in sexual activity at least 24 hours before the test to see a more accurate PSA result.
5. Take medication or medical action
The administration of 5-alpha reductase blockers (finasteride or dutasteride) commonly used in cases of enlargement of the prostate gland will reduce PSA levels as if the PSA is in a low condition. Therefore, it is necessary to consider doing a PSA test or interpreting the results of the PSA while taking the drug.
Medical measures that can affect the results of the PSA test are catheterization and cystocopy. Catheterization is the installation of a thin tube or hose in the bladder to drain urine out. This catheterization can lead to false positive results on PSA measurements. The wrong results state that your PSA is high when it's not.
Cystoscopy, which involves inserting small and thin instruments with the camera into the bladder, can also produce false positive PSA measurements.
6. Parathyroid hormone
Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a natural hormone produced by the body to regulate calcium levels in the blood. High levels of parathyroid hormone can increase PSA levels. Research involving more than 3,000 men measured in the NHANES laboratory showed that serum parathyroid hormone and calcium levels were closely related to PSA.
Men with serum PTH levels above 66 pg / mL can increase 43 percent of PSA levels so that PTH can stimulate prostate growth in men and affect the results of PSA screening.
