Men may protect more than their hearts if they keep cholesterol in check. They could also be reducing their chances of getting aggressive prostate cancer.
Dr. Jacques Ganem treats one of the most common cancers in men worldwide: prostate cancer.
"Approximately 180,000 men are told they have prostate cancer every year in the United States and approximately 30,000 men die of this disease every year," said Ganem.
A new study shows the one factor may play a big role in mortality rates: cholesterol levels. Researchers looked at more than 5,500 men and found that that those with total cholesterol levels in the healthy range-- below 200 were much less likely to develop the most aggressive form of prostate cancer.
Dr. Alan Kristal of Fred Hutchinson is one of the study authors.
"High-grade prostate cancer is the type that kills you, basically and although it's relatively rare these days, it accounts for maybe 10 or 12 percent of prostate cancers," said Dr. Alan Kristal, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "It really is the type prostate cancer if you get, you're at high risk of dying from."
However, cholesterol levels had no effect on prostate cancer risk in general, only the most deadly kind.
there are other questions yet to be answered.
"What we don't know is whether it's drugs that lower serum cholesterol, or having naturally low cholesterol because you have good genes, or you have low cholesterol because you exercise and you eat well," said Kristal. "We don't know which of those really accounts for the association."
But for men whose cholesterol levels are high, there is a clear take-home message.
"It's one more piece of evidence that having a low serum cholesterol is not only good for heart health, it's good for lowering your risk of cancer," said Kristal.
The study used data from the earlier prostate cancer prevention trial, which was financed by the National Cancer Institute.
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