 Damage
caused by Metabolic Syndrome in men may extend beyond the risks of
cardiovascular disease like heart attack and stroke and
lead to prostate cancer.
The Research Institute of Public Health at the University of
Kuopio, Finland, recently published study results on the
increased risk of prostate cancer in middle-aged men suffering
from Metabolic Syndrome (1). The participants were 1,880 men
from Eastern Finland who did not have a history of cancer or
Type 2
Diabetes. Metabolic Syndrome was diagnosed in 357 of the men at
the start of the study.
Over a period of 13 years, a total of 183 cancers occurred in
the group as a whole, of which 56 were cancer of the prostate.
Almost twice as many men with Metabolic Syndrome developed
prostate cancer as men without the syndrome, after adjustment
for age, alcohol consumption and physical fitness.
The study showed that overweight and obese men with Metabolic
Syndrome ran a more than 70% greater risk of developing prostate
cancer. Researchers concluded that the incidence of prostate
cancer may be reduced by curbing the current worldwide epidemic
of overweight and obese middle-aged men who have developed
Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X) because of sedentary lifestyles.
Prostate
Cancer
The prostate is about the size of a walnut and is located just below
the bladder. It surrounds the tube that carries urine from the
bladder and out through the penis (the urethra).
Normally, cells grow and multiply only when the body needs them
to. Cancer develops as a result of a breakdown in this process,
leading to cells growing in an uncontrolled way. The mass of
excess cells forms a tumor (growth), which may be benign or
malignant. The tumor is described as malignant if it is able to
invade other healthy tissue. The peripheral (outer) zone of the
prostate is the area most susceptible to developing cancer.
Prostate cancer is rare in men under 50 years old. However, the
risk increases steadily with age and by the time they are 80,
more than half of all men will have some cancerous growth,
though in most cases it goes unnoticed. Prostate cancer is
usually slow-growing and, in men who have it, it is often not
the cause of death.
 The
causes of prostate cancer are largely unknown. It is clear that
the chances of developing prostate cancer increase in men over
50. Close relatives of men who have had prostate cancer are also
more likely to be affected. Ethnic origin appears to play a
part. Black men seem to be at highest risk and men of East Asian descent the lowest.
It may be possible to reduce the risk by avoiding a high fat
diet and, for example, cutting down on or avoiding dairy foods
and red meat.
Prostate cancer often has no symptoms. Sometimes, even when
symptoms are present, men do not seek medical advice. However,
if prostate cancer is found early, it can often be cured.
The symptoms are similar to those produced by a common disease
of the prostate, benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), and
include:
- a difficulty in starting to pass urine
- a weak, sometimes intermittent flow of urine
- dribbling of urine before and after urinating
- a frequent or urgent need to pass urine
- a need to get up several times in the night to urinate
To address Metabolic Syndrome, a complete system is required
that includes nutraceuticals (vitamins, herbs and minerals that
are disease specific), a realistic exercise program combined
with nutritional guidance and a support network that will help
you change unhealthy lifestyle choices.
Click here
to read about the scientifically-designed Insulite MetaX System,
which can help reverse Insulin Resistance, a
condition linked to prostate cancer. The
system features numerous formulations, including InsulX,
with ingredients like the powerful antioxidant alpha lipoic
acid, which scavenges cell-damaging free radicals that have
been associated with the onset of tumors.
You may be interested in some of our Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQs) about Metabolic Syndrome and the Insulite
MetaX System.
(1)
Metabolic syndrome and the risk of prostate cancer in Finnish
men:
a population-based study.
Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention Vol. 13, 1646-1650, October 2004
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about
Metabolic Syndrome and Other Cancers
Overweight Men Face Double Threat From
Prostate Cancer
Overweight and obese men run a double risk of developing prostate cancer, according to another new study (1).
It suggests that a man's weight may "mask" the accuracy of a
common test to detect prostate cancer, with researchers warning
that doctors could be missing this dangerous cancer in obese
men.
Between the years 2001-04, a team at San Antonio’s University of
Texas Health Science Center studied 2,799 men who were free of
prostate cancer. In results released online in the journal
Cancer, researchers reported finding that the more obese men
were, the lower their levels of prostate-specific antigen or PSA.
A man's PSA of 4.0 or lower usually means no cancer and the
study results were surprising because prostate cancer has been
shown in previous studies to be more aggressive in obese men
than males of average weight. The Texas researchers wanted to
discover whether the detection of cancer was somehow being
delayed in obese men.
The study found that obese men have PSA levels that are about
30% lower than males of normal weight. "That tells us it’s
likely or it’s possible that prostate cancer detection may be
delayed in overweight or obese men," said Jacques Baillergeon,
Associate Professor of epidemiology at the University of Texas
Health Science Center.
It did not explain why obese men have lower PSA levels. But
doctors believe obese men produce more estrogen, which drives
down testosterone levels and could affect the antigen used in
the PSA test.
The research may spur many doctors to take a closer look at the
test results of obese male patients. "For sure, I will be more
vigilant in my patients, who are obese, in evaluating their PSA,"
said Dr. Nelson Stone of Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New
York City, who was not involved in the study.
Dr Stone added that colleagues might be losing some of the PSA
test's sensitivity, reducing its ability to detect prostate
cancer in obese patients. "We may have to set our sights lower,"
he said.
The antigen used in the PSA test is made by normal prostate
cells and is measured in blood. The higher the antigen level,
the more likely the chance of prostate cancer, according to the
American Cancer Society. But having a high PSA level is not a
definitive diagnosis of cancer, which is why the Atlanta-based
Society recommends that men with high PSA levels should have a
biopsy.
The Texas study builds on previous research released in May last
year in the New England Journal of Medicine which found that 15%
of men with a "normal" PSA actually had prostate cancer and that
two-thirds of those men had aggressive cases.
Many people are unaware that they are suffering from Metabolic
Syndrome, even though the American Heart Association estimates
that 20–25% of the adult population of the U.S. have this
disorder – between 58 and 73 million men and women
Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by having at least three of
the following symptoms:
- Insulin Resistance (when the body can't absorb blood sugar or insulin properly)
- Abdominal fat – in men this means a 40 inch waist or larger, in women 35 inches or larger
- High blood sugar levels – at least 110 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) after fasting
- High triglycerides – at least 150 mg/dL in the blood stream
- Low HDL (the "good" cholesterol) – less than 40 mg/dL
- Prothrombotic state (a precursor of Cardiovascular Disease)
- Blood pressure of 130/85 mmHg or higher
(1) Extra Weight Skews PSA Scores. High BMI means prostate cancer screen can miss early stages of disease,
study says. Health Day. Gordon, Serena
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Metabolic Syndrome and Other Cancers
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