I
Direct Link Between High Cholesterol And Prostate Cancer Found
Researchers from Italy have found what they believe to be the first
direct link between high cholesterol levels and prostate cancer.
A possible association has been suggested before but evidence has been
limited. This new study, published on-line in Annals of Oncology[1]
shows a statistically significant direct relationship between the two
conditions.
Lead author Dr Francesca Bravi, an epidemiologist from the Istituto di
Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri in Milan, said: "Although the study
relied on participants' self-reported medical conditions, the absence
of an association between prostate cancer and about 10 other medical
conditions we investigated indicates that the relationship we found
between prostate cancer and high cholesterol appears to be a real one."
The research team worked on data from a case-control study carried out
in four Italian areas between 1991 and 2002, involving 1,294 men under
age 75 with prostate cancer and 1,451 matched controls admitted to the
same hospitals with acute non-cancerous conditions.
All cases and controls were interviewed in hospital by trained
interviewers using wide-ranging structured questionnaires. These
included a problem-oriented section on patients' medical history
covering about 10 non-cancerous conditions, including
hypercholesterolaemia (high cholesterol) and gallstones.
Dr Bravi said: "We found that, after allowing for any potential
confounding factors, men with prostate cancer were around 50% more
likely to have had high cholesterol levels[2] than our non-prostate
cancer controls. The association was somewhat stronger for men whose
high cholesterol levels had been diagnosed before they were 50 and for
men over 65, where there was an 80% greater likelihood of high
cholesterol levels. We also found that prostate cancer patients were
26% more likely to have suffered from gallstones than our controls,
with an apparently higher relationship in thinner men. Although that
figure was not statistically significant, gallstones are often related
to high cholesterol levels. To our knowledge there have been no
previous studies reporting any relationship between gallstones and
prostate cancer."
Co-author Dr Cristina Bosetti, a senior epidemiologist and
biostatistician at the same institute, explained: "Androgens - hormones
that have a role in prostate tissue and cancer - are synthesised from
cholesterol, suggesting a possible biological relationship between high
cholesterol and prostate cancer. Gallstones are related to high
cholesterol levels as well and are often composed of cholesterol. So,
the direct relationship we found between gallstones and prostate
cancer, while it was not statistically significant, suggests a similar
biological mechanism may explain the link."
This study had relied on participant's self-reporting medical
conditions: the researchers believe that their results should be
confirmed by further studies, including prospective investigations with
reliable measured cholesterol levels.
Dr Bosetti concluded: "There are some laboratory data suggesting
statins may have preventive potential against prostate cancer and our
results do give an indirect suggestion that statins may help in
lowering prostate cancer risk. However, studies to date on
cholesterol-lowering statins and prostate cancer have been limited and
inconclusive."
###
[1] Self-reported history of hypercholesterolaemia and gallstones and
the risk of prostate cancer. Annals of Oncology.
doi:10.1093/annonc/mdi080.
[2] Hypercholesterolaemia (high cholesterol levels): In this study
hypercholesterolaemia was classified as any cholesterol over the normal
level (>200 mg/dl or approximately 5 mmol/l).
A PDF of the research paper is available on request.
Please acknowledge Annals of Oncology as a source in any reports.
Annals of Oncology is the monthly journal of the European Society for
Medical Oncology. Annals of Oncology website:
http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/
Contact: Margaret Willson
[email protected]
European Society for Medical Oncology
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com
Man Is A Herbivore!
http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/manisaherbivore
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
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Researchers from Italy have found what they believe to be the first
direct link between high cholesterol levels and prostate cancer.
A possible association has been suggested before but evidence has been
limited. This new study, published on-line in Annals of Oncology[1]
shows a statistically significant direct relationship between the two
conditions.
Lead author Dr Francesca Bravi, an epidemiologist from the Istituto di
Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri in Milan, said: "Although the study
relied on participants' self-reported medical conditions, the absence
of an association between prostate cancer and about 10 other medical
conditions we investigated indicates that the relationship we found
between prostate cancer and high cholesterol appears to be a real one."
The research team worked on data from a case-control study carried out
in four Italian areas between 1991 and 2002, involving 1,294 men under
age 75 with prostate cancer and 1,451 matched controls admitted to the
same hospitals with acute non-cancerous conditions.
All cases and controls were interviewed in hospital by trained
interviewers using wide-ranging structured questionnaires. These
included a problem-oriented section on patients' medical history
covering about 10 non-cancerous conditions, including
hypercholesterolaemia (high cholesterol) and gallstones.
Dr Bravi said: "We found that, after allowing for any potential
confounding factors, men with prostate cancer were around 50% more
likely to have had high cholesterol levels[2] than our non-prostate
cancer controls. The association was somewhat stronger for men whose
high cholesterol levels had been diagnosed before they were 50 and for
men over 65, where there was an 80% greater likelihood of high
cholesterol levels. We also found that prostate cancer patients were
26% more likely to have suffered from gallstones than our controls,
with an apparently higher relationship in thinner men. Although that
figure was not statistically significant, gallstones are often related
to high cholesterol levels. To our knowledge there have been no
previous studies reporting any relationship between gallstones and
prostate cancer."
Co-author Dr Cristina Bosetti, a senior epidemiologist and
biostatistician at the same institute, explained: "Androgens - hormones
that have a role in prostate tissue and cancer - are synthesised from
cholesterol, suggesting a possible biological relationship between high
cholesterol and prostate cancer. Gallstones are related to high
cholesterol levels as well and are often composed of cholesterol. So,
the direct relationship we found between gallstones and prostate
cancer, while it was not statistically significant, suggests a similar
biological mechanism may explain the link."
This study had relied on participant's self-reporting medical
conditions: the researchers believe that their results should be
confirmed by further studies, including prospective investigations with
reliable measured cholesterol levels.
Dr Bosetti concluded: "There are some laboratory data suggesting
statins may have preventive potential against prostate cancer and our
results do give an indirect suggestion that statins may help in
lowering prostate cancer risk. However, studies to date on
cholesterol-lowering statins and prostate cancer have been limited and
inconclusive."
###
[1] Self-reported history of hypercholesterolaemia and gallstones and
the risk of prostate cancer. Annals of Oncology.
doi:10.1093/annonc/mdi080.
[2] Hypercholesterolaemia (high cholesterol levels): In this study
hypercholesterolaemia was classified as any cholesterol over the normal
level (>200 mg/dl or approximately 5 mmol/l).
A PDF of the research paper is available on request.
Please acknowledge Annals of Oncology as a source in any reports.
Annals of Oncology is the monthly journal of the European Society for
Medical Oncology. Annals of Oncology website:
http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/
Contact: Margaret Willson
[email protected]
European Society for Medical Oncology
Who loves ya.
Tom
Jesus Was A Vegetarian!
http://jesuswasavegetarian.7h.com
Man Is A Herbivore!
http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/manisaherbivore
DEAD PEOPLE WALKING
http://pages.ivillage.com/ironjustice/deadpeoplewalking
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