Researchers at The Miriam Hospital are Recruiting Men for Study on Prostate Enlargement
(posted October 20, 2009)
Researchers with The Miriam Hospital’s Men’s Health Center are looking for local men to participate in a new research study looking at preventing prostate enlargement.
It is common for the prostate gland to become enlarged as a man ages. According to the National Institutes of Health, there were 4.5 million physician visits for prostate enlargement in the United States in 2000. An enlarged prostate can press on the urethra and cause urination and bladder problems. The cause of this condition – known medically as benign prostatic hyperplasia – is unknown, although it does not raise the risk of prostate cancer.
Eligibility for the study includes men between the ages of 40-85 who:
Are being treated with testosterone for low testosterone levels (hypogonadism).
Have a prostate specific antigen (PSA) – a protein found in prostate cells used as a measure to screen for prostate cancer – of 1.5 or greater.
Participants will receive either an active medication called dutasteride, which is FDA-approved for reducing an enlarged prostate, or a placebo. Dutasteride has not been approved to prevent the enlargement of the prostate and is the focus of the research study.
The research study will be conducted over a one-year period and will involve office visits and blood tests at no charge. Participants will be compensated for their participation.
For more information, or to enroll in the study, please contact Laurie Given, RN, at 401-793-4636.