Men's Health Greater waist circumference increases the risk of prostate cancer

Losing weight and reducing the waist circumference protects men from prostate cancers
Prostate cancer threatens the lives of many men worldwide. This form of cancer is one of the most common cancers of the man and many sufferers die as a result of the malignant tumor disease. Researchers have now found that men with a larger waist circumference are at an increased risk for developing prostate cancer.

Scientists from the University of Oxford have now found in an investigation that the waist circumference in men has an impact on the probability of developing prostate cancer. A larger waist circumference also increases the risk of developing the malignant tumor disease. The physicians from the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Population Health now published a press release on the results of their study.

It may not be new to most people that being overweight endangers their health. However, researchers now found that a larger waist circumference in men also increases the risk of developing prostate cancer. (Image: SENTELLO / fotolia.com)

Ten centimeters more waist circumference increase the risk of prostate cancer by 13 percent
Examinations of more than 140,000 men from eight European countries have now shown that even a larger waist circumference of ten centimeters increases the probability of prostate cancer by 13 percent, the authors explain. Men are most at risk if their waist circumference is greater than 94 centimeters. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. In many people, the disease takes a fatal course. In Germany alone, about three out of every hundred men die of the disease and prostate cancer is the third most common lethal cancer in men - behind lung and colon cancer.

Study examines subjects over a 14-year period
The new study found a link between men's body measures in their 50s and the risk of prostate cancer. The study has now been presented at the European Obesity Summit in Sweden and has been going for 14 years, the experts report. During this time, there were about 7,000 cases of prostate cancer among the subjects, of which 934 were fatal. The researchers found that men with a higher body mass index (BMI) and greater waist circumference had an increased risk of developing high-grade prostate cancer. For example, if men had a waist circumference of 94 centimeters, their risk for aggressive prostate cancer increased by 13 percent, compared to men whose waist was 84 centimeters, the doctors explain. The scientists also observed an increased risk of dying from prostate cancer when people had increased BMI and waist circumference.

Carcinogenic hormones in fat cells trigger the increased risk?
The results of the study demonstrate the complex relationship between body size and the risk of prostate cancer. Aurora Perez-Cornago of the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford. Men should try to maintain a healthy weight and, if possible, lose weight at the waist. The increased risk is probably caused by carcinogenic hormones in the fat cells, but this has not yet been proven, explains the researcher.

Healthy body weight and active lifestyle protect against many diseases
Healthy body weight and an active lifestyle can protect against many diseases, including cancer. Weight and waist circumference are another key risk factor for the development of prostate cancer, and men should be aware of this to protect themselves more effectively from this malignant tumor disease, the authors suggest.