2023-05-25 08:03:00
According to a Swedish study, young men who gain weight have a greatly increased risk of developing deadly prostate cancer later in life.
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide. More than 1.4 million cases are diagnosed annually. A recent study conducted in Sweden found that young men who gain weight between the ages of 17 and 29 have a higher risk of developing an aggressive form of prostate cancer and even dying from it. An increase of half a kilo per year is enough for this. The research results were presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Dublin, Ireland.
Data from nearly 260,000 men analyzed
Previous research has found evidence that excess body fat increases the risk of fatal prostate cancer. However, the evidence linking total body fat to prostate cancer is unclear. To learn more regarding the links between weight and prostate cancer, a team of researchers from Malmö University analyzed data from 258,477 men between the ages of 17 and 60 who had their weight measured at least three times as part of the long-term study. This means that the men who were free of prostate cancer when they were included in the study from 1963 to 2014 were followed up until 2019 (mean follow-up time 43 years). The researchers logged prostate cancer diagnoses and deaths that occurred during this time.
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If the weight increases in young men, the risk of prostate cancer also increases
A total of 23,348 prostate cancer diagnoses were made. The average age at diagnosis was 70 years, 4,790 men died from it. A detailed evaluation showed that men who gained only half a kilo per year between the ages of 17 and 29 had a 10 percent higher risk of aggressive prostate cancer and a 29 percent higher risk of fatal prostate cancer. A 1kg increase in weight each year increased the likelihood of aggressive prostate cancer by 13 percent. The researchers are certain that there is a connection between continued weight gain at a young age and prostate cancer.
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Excess body fat fuels cancer cells
Director of Studies Dr. Marisa da Silva has a possible explanation for this, as she explains in a research release: “Research has shown that the insulin-like growth hormone IGF-I, which is involved in cell growth and cell development, also increases the risk of cancer.” 1 Overweight people or people who are constantly gaining weight have an increased level of this hormone, which subsequently promotes the development of prostate cancer.
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Maintaining a healthy weight also means cancer prevention
“Knowing more regarding the factors that cause prostate cancer is key to prevention,” concludes da Silva. Men who watch their weight in young adulthood, exercise enough and eat a balanced diet are likely to significantly reduce the likelihood of developing aggressive prostate cancer in old age – even if it has not yet been finally clarified whether the weight gain itself or the lasting one Obesity is the main reason for the disease.
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