Prostate Deaths Cut By Exercising

A new study by researchers at UC San Francisco has concluded that men who exercise vigorously and have healthy diets are far less likely to develop a lethal form of prostate cancer.

Researchers pored over data from two long-term health studies of more than 62,000 men, including 20,000 physicians that began in the 1980s and did not end until 2010. They identified specific healthy lifestyle habits among the men, including intense exercise that induced sweating, body mass index under 30, being tobacco-free for a minimum of 10 years, high intake of fatty fish, high intake of tomatoes and low intake of processed meat. 

Researchers then identified 913 subjects that had a lethal form of prostate cancer. Most cases of prostate cancer are non-aggressive and only require ongoing monitoring rather than any clinical interventions.

By matching the lethal prostate cancer cohort to those who engaged in exercise and a healthy lifestyles, UCSF researchers concluded that the latter were 68 percent less likely to develop a lethal form of the cancer than those who did not exercise or have healthier diets.

“This study underscores the ongoing need for more effective prevention measures and policies to increase exercise, improve diet quality and reduce tobacco use in our population,” said senior author June M. Chan of UCSF. “It takes co-operation and effort from multiple areas, like insurance companies, employers, policy makers and city planners, to figure out how to creatively support and encourage more exercise into most busy adults’ working day. These lifestyle habits align with other recommendations to prevent diabetes and heart disease.”

The study was published last month in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.