'Beer belly' increases mortality from prostate cancer in men

One large study found that hundreds of British men could avoid prostate cancer each year if they lost weight.

Accordingly, experts from the University of Oxford analyzed the measurements of more than 2.5 million men. Every 5 point increase in BMI - around 15.9 kg for the average British man increases the odds of dying from prostate cancer by around 10%.

It is the score to turn a person from healthy to overweight, or overweight to obese.

 
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.

Researchers estimate 'bulging waistlines' are responsible for 1,300 prostate cancer deaths in the UK each year. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK, with around 52,000 diagnosed each year. In the US, about 165,000 cases are diagnosed and nearly 30,000 deaths.

Dr Aurora Perez-Cornago and colleagues said: "We found that men with greater total and central fat mass had a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer compared with men with greater total and central fat. in healthy men Understanding more about the factors that increase prostate cancer risk is key to preventing it Age, family medical history, and black ethnicity are all factors High risks are known, however they cannot be changed, so it is important to uncover modifiable risk factors'.

She says a number of biological causes of increased risk have been discussed, although the disease may be more difficult to detect in obese men, which is when it is diagnosed late in life. much more difficult to treat.

Dr Perez-Cornago said: 'Further research is needed to determine if the link is biological or due to delayed detection of the disease in men with high body fat. In either case, our latest results provide another reason for men to try to maintain a healthy weight.

The findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Maastricht, The Netherlands, and also published in the journal BMC Medicine.

Simon Grieveson, of Prostate Cancer UK, said: 'This study shows that being overweight is associated with an increased risk of dying from prostate cancer. Although these results are convincing, more research is still needed to fully understand the biological relationship between obesity and prostate cancer. Beyond that, most importantly is how we can use this information to improve health outcomes for men."

'Maintaining a healthy weight can protect against cancer, but it's important to remember that prostate cancer can affect men of all shapes and sizes. Men over 50, black men or a family history of high risk should see a doctor if they are concerned."

Being overweight is associated with an increased risk of dying from prostate cancer.

The scientists followed the medical records of men who were between the ages of 40 and 69 and had not been diagnosed with cancer before the study began, for an average of about 12 years. Approximately 661 people died from the disease at the end of the follow-up period.

Their BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and waist-to-butt ratio were recorded to assess the effects on cancer growth and severity. Using statistical analysis, the team found that a high waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio increased the risk of dying from prostate cancer.

People in the highest quartile on both measurements were about 25% more likely to die from the disease than those in the lowest quartile.

Every 10cm of waist circumference increases mortality from prostate cancer by 7%. However, the data showed that having a higher percentage of body fat did not have any impact on the risk of death.

The average height of a UK adult male is about 177.8cm and the average weight is 83.9kg, suggesting that a BMI of 5 points lower equates to a loss of 16kg.

A separate study presented at the recent conference claims that getting at least six hours of sleep a night is crucial to keeping your weight under control.

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark examined the sleep duration and quality of nearly 200 obese adults for a year. Those who slept less than 6 hours per night saw their BMI increase by 1.3 points after one year compared with those who slept more than 6 hours.

Studies have shown that more than a third of adults in the UK and US sleep less than 6 or 7 hours a night because of stress, electronic device use or work reasons.