Prostate medicines linked to Type-2 diabetes

Medicines prescribed to reduce the symptoms of prostate diseases increase the likelihood of developing Type-2 diabetes.

A study found that the drugs increased the risk of developing the disorder by about 30 per cent. In addition, a similar effect was seen when repeated with health records from a group of Taiwanese men.

Men with enlarged prostates are commonly prescribed the drugs called 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors that reduce the production of hormones called androgens. These help treat symptoms such as reduced urinary flow.

The study's findings suggested that men taking these medications may need additional health checks to monitor warning signs of diabetes so that their prescriptions can be altered if necessary.

"We found that commonly prescribed medications for prostate disease can increase the risk of Type-2 diabetes. These findings will be particularly important for health screening in older men who are already typically at a higher risk of Type-2 diabetes," said Ruth Andrew, Professor at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

"It is important that all patients are made aware of the risks and benefits of their medications," noted Li Wei, Associate Professor at the UCL School of Pharmacy in Britain. For the study, the team studied health records from around 55,000 men who were prescribed 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors.