Study Suggests Improved Fitness May Lower Prostate Cancer Risk
London, Feb 4: A new study indicates that increasing annual cardiorespiratory fitness by three percent or more could potentially reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer by 35 percent.
Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the study suggests that men should be encouraged to enhance their fitness levels to mitigate their chances of prostate cancer.
Researchers collected data on physical activity, lifestyle, perceived health, body measurements, and cardiorespiratory fitness tests from 57,652 out of a total of 181,673 men. These tests involved peddling on a stationary cycle to measure oxygen consumption during vigorous exercise, with higher oxygen consumption indicating better fitness.
Over an average period of nearly seven years, 592 men (1 percent of the sample) were diagnosed with prostate cancer, and 46 (0.08 percent) died from the disease.
The study found that an annual increase in cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with a two percent lower risk of prostate cancer, though not mortality, after adjusting for factors like age, education, BMI, and smoking status.
Furthermore, participants whose fitness improved by three percent or more annually were 35 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer compared to those whose fitness declined.
The researchers noted that while this observational study suggests a link between fitness and cancer risk, it cannot establish causal factors. Additionally, genetic factors play a significant role in both fitness levels and cancer risk.
