Health
Obesity tied to prostate cancer death
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Jan. 22, 2007
Obesity increases the risk of death from prostate cancer, although not the chances that cancer will develop, says research in the Feb. 15 Cancer.
The researchers found that higher body mass index and weight gain since the age of 18 were associated with significantly higher risk of death. As BMI increased, so did the relative risk of death. Men with a BMI of 25 to 29.9, had a 25% higher risk and severely obese men, or those with a BMI greater than 35 had a 100% higher risk, or a doubling of risk.
Today, 30% of American adults have a BMI greater than 30. Obesity already has been linked to chronic medical problems that include heart disease, diabetes, gallbladder disease and stroke. Studies had already found that higher BMIs are linked to other cancers, including breast and colorectal.
The researchers, who were from the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Cancer Institute, studied 287,760 men ages 50 to 71 who were participating in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/01/22/hlbf0122.htm.
