|
Washington: Coronary
artery disease (CAD) and prostate cancer, two seemingly unrelated
conditions, may actually share similar causes, according to the
findings of a drug trial.
CAD kills more adults in the US than any other cause, accounting
for one in four deaths. Risk factors include inactivity, obesity,
high blood pressure and cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and
diabetes.
If confirmed that heart disease is tied to prostate cancer, the
malignancy might be combated in part by lifestyle changes such as
weight loss, exercise and a healthy diet, which are known to
prevent heart disease, the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers
& Prevention reported.
"What's good for the heart may be good for the prostate," said
Jean-Alfred Thomas II, post-doctoral fellow in urology at the Duke
University Medical Centre, who led the study, according to a
university statement.
The Duke team used data from 6,390 men enrolled in a large study
called REDUCE, a four-year, randomized trial to test the prostate
cancer risk reduction benefits of a drug called dutasteride.
All the participants had a prostate biopsy at the two and
four-year marks. They also provided a detailed medical history
that included their weight, incidence of heart disease, alcohol
intake, medication use and other factors.
Having CAD increased the men's risk of prostate cancer by 35
percent, with the risk rising over time.
|
Comments
|
Quick links