The habit change that reduces the risk of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common tumor in men in Spain. Age is the main risk factor. In fact, almost two out of three cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed in men over 65 years of age. We cannot stop the passing of the years, but it is in our power to adopt lifestyle habits that help prevent. Now, a new study, published in the medical journal ‘British Journal of Sports Medicine’ (BMJ), indicates that a greater ability to perform aerobic exercise is related to a lower probability of developing this disease. Specifically, an annual increase of more than 3% in cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a 35% lower risk of prostate cancer. These findings have led researchers to conclude that men should be encouraged to improve their fitness level to help reduce their chances of suffering from the disease. There are relatively few known risk factors for prostate cancer, the researchers note. And while there is good evidence of the beneficial effects of physical activity on the risk of several types of cancer, the associations with prostate cancer are less clear. The researchers wanted to find out whether improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness over time could influence these risks, working from a national occupational health profile assessment database. The database collected information on physical activity, lifestyle, perceived health, measurements of body mass and height, and the results of at least two cardiorespiratory fitness tests, measured by pedaling a stationary bicycle, to 57,652 men out of a total of 181,673. Annual cardiorespiratory fitness measurements were expressed as absolute and relative maximum V02 (the amount (volume) of oxygen the body uses when exercising as hard as possible) and were divided into groups based on whether they increased annually by more than 3%, decreased by more than 3%, or remained stable. And to evaluate whether the change in physical fitness on the risk of prostate cancer varied according to the initial status, 3 groups of equal size of cardiorespiratory fitness were created: low, moderate and high. MORE INFORMATION news No Exercise that protects against 9 types of cancer For the incidence analysis, all participants were monitored from the date of the last evaluation until the date of their diagnosis of prostate cancer, or death from any cause, or until on December 31, 2019, whichever occurred first. Over an average period of almost 7 years, 592 men (1% of the total sample) were diagnosed with prostate cancer and 46 (0.08%) died from their disease. An annual percentage increase in absolute cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a 2% lower risk of prostate cancer, after taking into account potentially influential factors such as age, educational level, year of testing, weight (BMI) . and smoking. When participants were grouped according to whether their cardiorespiratory fitness had increased, remained stable, or decreased, those whose fitness had improved by 3% or more per year were 35% less likely to develop prostate cancer than those whose fitness Physics had declined, after taking potentially influential factors into account. When participants were grouped according to their cardiorespiratory fitness at their first assessment, the association between physical fitness and a reduction in prostate cancer risk was only statistically significant (15% less) for those with a moderate level of fitness at baseline. . . This is an observational study and, as such, cannot establish causal factors, in addition to the fact that genetic factors play an important role in both a person’s cardiorespiratory fitness and cancer risk, the researchers highlight. However, he concludes: “The results highlight the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness for prostate cancer risk, which has been difficult to determine with single time-point studies. Improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness in adult men should be encouraged and may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.” Exercise to prevent Tobacco, alcohol, sedentary lifestyle, inadequate diets and infections remain the most important and preventable risk factors related to cancer in general. This year, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) has focused on the importance of physical exercise to prevent, treat and avoid the onset of cancer. Performing physical activity can reduce the risk of breast, colon, urinary bladder, endometrium, esophagus and stomach cancer by up to 30%, and the risk of cancer-specific mortality by almost 20%. The strongest data to date focus on breast cancer and colorectal cancer, but this benefit extends to other tumors such as prostate and lung cancer. In addition, physical exercise has been shown to improve quality of life and reduce side effects derived from treatments, by increasing patients’ cardiorespiratory capacity and reducing fatigue.