BMI: American scientists find correlation between obesity and prostate cancer
There is a strong correlation between obesity and the risk of developing prostate cancer, according to American scientists.
A study conducted by the US National Cancer Institute concluded that the risk of dying from prostate cancer increased significantly with body mass index (BMI).
The survey, which studied the incidence and outcomes of prostate cancer in 287,760 men between the ages of 50 and 71, revealed that men with prostate cancer who were described as being overweight - those with a BMI of between 25 and 29.9 - had a 25% increased risk of death.
Typically, the increased morbidity rate directly correlated to the rise in the BMI. For those classed as being mildly obese - a BMI between 30 and 34.9 - the risk of dying increased by a staggering 46%. And for men who were classed as being severely obese - a BMI of above 35 - the risk increased by 100%, effectively doubling the chance of dying of prostate cancer.
Nevertheless, the findings showed that there was no link between obesity or weight gain and the likelihood of developing prostate cancer.
This is the first study to find that the risk of dying increased in men with prostate cancer who had gained weight since they were 18 years of age.
