Men's health
High PSA: What It Means and What Happens Next
PSA — prostate specific antigen — is a protein made by the prostate gland, and a small amount circulates in the blood normally. It is measured because the level tends to rise when something is going on in the prostate. After fifty the most common reason is simply that the prostate has grown, which happens to most men with age.
Normal PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) range
What a high PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) means
A raised PSA means the prostate is releasing more of this protein than usual. It is not a cancer result. Benign enlargement, infection and inflammation all raise it, and so do several ordinary things in the days before the blood draw — which is why a single high reading is usually repeated before anything else is decided.
Common causes:
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia — an enlarged prostate, common after 50
- Prostatitis or a urinary tract infection
- Ejaculation in the day or two before the test
- A long cycle ride or other vigorous exercise
- A recent catheter, biopsy or rectal examination
- Prostate cancer
What a low PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) means
A low PSA is not a health problem. One thing is worth knowing: finasteride and dutasteride — taken for an enlarged prostate and, at lower doses, for hair loss — reduce measured PSA, so a doctor reads the number differently for someone on them.
Food & lifestyle that help
Favour
- Vegetables and fruit across the week
- Cooked tomatoes and other red and orange vegetables
- Fish, dal and other lean protein
- Whole grains and millets
Limit
- Deep-fried and heavily processed food
- Excess red and processed meat
- Alcohol
When to see a doctor
Take any PSA result to a doctor rather than reading it alone. Go sooner if you also have trouble passing urine, a weak or interrupted stream, needing to get up often at night, blood in the urine or semen, or new pain in the hip, back or pelvis.
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Make my free plan →Frequently asked questions
Does a high PSA mean I have prostate cancer?
No. Most raised PSA results turn out to have a benign cause, most often an enlarged prostate. A doctor decides what a number means alongside your age, your symptoms, an examination and usually a repeat test.
What should I avoid before a PSA test?
Ask your lab, but it is usual to avoid ejaculation and hard cycling for about two days beforehand, and to have blood taken before rather than after a rectal examination. Each of these can lift the number on its own.
Can diet bring PSA down?
No food has been shown to lower PSA reliably. Eating well is worth doing for your heart and your weight, but it is not a treatment for a raised PSA, and a raised PSA needs a doctor's assessment rather than a diet plan.
At what age should PSA be discussed?
That is a conversation to have with a doctor rather than a fixed rule, and it usually starts earlier for men with a father or brother who had prostate cancer. Screening has real benefits and real harms, which is why the decision is an individual one.