Exercise may tame prostate cancer
Oct 25, 2005
Men should exercise vigorously at least three hours a week to stem potentially fatal cases of prostate cancer and consume daily helpings of low-fat dairy foods to hold off diabetes, two studies said recently.
Men should exercise vigorously at least three hours a week to stem potentially fatal cases of prostate cancer and consume daily helpings of low-fat dairy foods to hold off diabetes, two studies said recently.
In one study that used 14 years worth of data on nearly 48,000 men working in the health field, researchers found a 70 per cent lower risk of advanced or fatal cases of prostate cancer among men aged 65 or older, who exercised vigorously at least three hours per week.
“Although the mechanisms still need to be understood, these findings suggest that vigorous activity could slow the progression of prostate cancer and might be recommended to reduce mortality from prostate cancer, particularly given the many other documented benefits of exercise,†wrote Dr. Edward Giovannucci of the Harvard School of Public Health.
Participants — including nearly 3,000 who developed prostate cancer — were asked how much time they spent walking or hiking, running, bicycling, lap swimming, rowing, playing tennis, squash or racquetball, or engaging in calisthenics.
Giovannucci said some previous studies have indicated a tenuous link between exercise and a lowered risk of prostate cancer, though the association was often not significant.
The study found no overall relationship between exercise and the disease except for a lowered risk of advanced and fatal cases of prostate cancer among men aged 65 or older who were in the highest category of physical activity. The association was not seen among younger men.
The second study used data from the same survey of health workers to conclude that consumption of low-fat dairy products — especially skim milk — lowered men’s risk of developing adult-onset diabetes.
Each added daily serving of low-fat dairy products was associated with a nine per cent lower risk for diabetes, the report said.
“In conclusion, dietary patterns characterised by higher dairy intake, especially low-fat dairy intake, may lower the risk of (adult onset) diabetes,†wrote study author Hyon Choi of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Ingredients in dairy products may help the body use insulin to process blood sugar. Adult-onset diabetes results from the body’s inability to use insulin or a decline in insulin production.
Both studies appeared in this month’s Archives of Internal Medicine.
Reuter
In one study that used 14 years worth of data on nearly 48,000 men working in the health field, researchers found a 70 per cent lower risk of advanced or fatal cases of prostate cancer among men aged 65 or older, who exercised vigorously at least three hours per week.
“Although the mechanisms still need to be understood, these findings suggest that vigorous activity could slow the progression of prostate cancer and might be recommended to reduce mortality from prostate cancer, particularly given the many other documented benefits of exercise,†wrote Dr. Edward Giovannucci of the Harvard School of Public Health.
Participants — including nearly 3,000 who developed prostate cancer — were asked how much time they spent walking or hiking, running, bicycling, lap swimming, rowing, playing tennis, squash or racquetball, or engaging in calisthenics.
Giovannucci said some previous studies have indicated a tenuous link between exercise and a lowered risk of prostate cancer, though the association was often not significant.
The study found no overall relationship between exercise and the disease except for a lowered risk of advanced and fatal cases of prostate cancer among men aged 65 or older who were in the highest category of physical activity. The association was not seen among younger men.
The second study used data from the same survey of health workers to conclude that consumption of low-fat dairy products — especially skim milk — lowered men’s risk of developing adult-onset diabetes.
Each added daily serving of low-fat dairy products was associated with a nine per cent lower risk for diabetes, the report said.
“In conclusion, dietary patterns characterised by higher dairy intake, especially low-fat dairy intake, may lower the risk of (adult onset) diabetes,†wrote study author Hyon Choi of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Ingredients in dairy products may help the body use insulin to process blood sugar. Adult-onset diabetes results from the body’s inability to use insulin or a decline in insulin production.
Both studies appeared in this month’s Archives of Internal Medicine.
Reuter