Abstract
AIM: Although a relationship has been demonstrated between prostate cancer (PCa), benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and insulin resistance, the results are inconclusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential value of the fasting blood glucose-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (GHR) in classifying PCa and BPH risks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis examined 185 patients who were recently diagnosed with PCa and 185 age-matched patients with BPH. Preoperative blood test and biopsy results were obtained, and patients with PCa were divided into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups using the D’Amico risk classification. The fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol, triglycerides, HbA1c, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), hemogram parameters, lipid ratios, and GHR levels of the two groups and prostate risk groups were compared. RESULTS: FBG levels and GHR were significantly higher in patients with PCa than in those with BPH (P < 0.001). No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglyceride levels, or lipid ratios. FBG and GHR levels were significantly higher in the intermediate- and high-risk PCa groups than in the low-risk group (p < 0.001). Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed weak but significant positive correlations between PCa risk and FBG (r = 0.242, p = 0.001) and GHR (r = 0.158, p = 0.031). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that glycemic dysfunction may play a more prominent role in PCa development than lipid parameters and that GHR may serve as a potential biomarker for PCa risk stratification. However, further research is needed in the form of larger prospective studies to confirm these results and determine the clinical utility of GHR in PCa risk assessment and disease progression monitoring.