More sweat may lower risk of men for lethal prostate cancer by nearly 70%

Working up a sweat and healthy lifestyle habits could significantly reduce the risk of men from developing lethal prostate cancer, a new research shows. The study of tens of thousands of men for more than 20 years shows that vigorous exercise may cut the risk by 68 per cent.

The findings come from the analysis of the benefits of exercise to midlife and older American men. Researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) estimate that the risk of lethal prostate cancer may further decrease by 34 per cent in men over 60 years old through an exercise for at least three hours every week.

The study was published in the journal of the National Cancer Institute. Researchers have analysed data from a study that followed over 42,000 males ages 40 to 75 from 1986 to 2010, and another that tracked more than 20,000 males ages 40 to 84 from 1982 to 2010.

The two studies were separated into health professionals’ group and a physicians’ group,respectively. Participants were all free of cancer at the start of each study.

To date, most prostate cancers are considered non life-threatening. However, some patients tend to suffer from an aggressive disease, affecting the bone and other organs, which could ultimately be fatal.

"It's interesting that vigorous activity had the highest potential impact on prevention of lethal prostate cancer,” lead author Stacey Kenfield, an assistant professor in the Department of Urology at UCSF Medical Centre, said in a press release.

Besides exercise, researchers have also found significant life-saving benefits from dietary factors. Some participants in the health professionals’ group had a lower risk of lethal prostate cancer by 46 per cent, while the risk in the physicians’ group decreased by 30 per cent.

Eating at least seven servings of tomatoes each week could also reduce the risk by 15 per cent in men over 60. In addition, consumption of at least one serving of fatty fish per week cuts the risk by 17 per cent, while a reduction in intake of processed meats would reduce the risk by 12 per cent.

"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 Chan, from the departments of Urology, and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF.

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