Body Size and Prostate Cancer:

Height and Obesity Associated with Aggressive Disease

Categories: Summer/Fall 2017
A prospective study found that men who were taller or more obese were more likely to have aggressive prostate cancer and die from the disease.

For each 4 inches of height, there was a 21% increase in being diagnosed with high-grade prostate cancer and a 17% higher risk of prostate cancer death. For every 4-inch increase in waist size, there was a 13% increased risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer and an 18% higher risk of prostate cancer death.

The reasons behind the association between height and aggressive prostate cancer are not yet fully understood. However, there could be many reasons for the link between obesity and prostate cancer, including the fact that obese men have lower PSA concentrations and are more likely to have a larger prostate, which can make a DRE more difficult. These issues can make early detection more challenging, leading to later diagnoses.

The analysis included 141,896 men with a nearly 14-year average follow-up.

BMC Med. 2017 Jul 13;15(1):115. doi: 10.1186/s12916-017-0876-7.

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