A new study presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity – ECO in Maastricht, Netherlands, and published in BMC Medicine, links obesity to the risk of developing prostate cancer. It was found that every additional 10 cm of circumference in men increases the risk of dying from prostate cancer by 7%. However, this relationship is not limited to abdominal fat, with the increase in risk being similar for overall obesity. Knowing the factors that increase the risk of prostate cancer is key to preventing it, researchers say. Age, family history, and ethnicity are known risk factors, but they are not modifiable, so it is important to identify modifiable risk factors. Although many types of prostate cancer are slow-growing and may not impair a man’s quality of life during his lifetime, others are deadly and fast-growing and may be due to a variety of risk factors. Some previous studies have suggested that obesity is a risk factor for developing prostate cancer, with central obesity – the accumulation of fat around the abdomen and waist – being particularly important. Researchers pooled data from multiple published studies in a meta-analysis, which was funded by Cancer Research UK. All studies included in the meta-analysis were prospective, meaning that men who did not have prostate cancer at the start of the study were followed for many years, and the number of prostate cancer deaths during that time was was registered. Obesity was measured at the start of each study using up to four different parameters: body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on weight and height, followed in 19,633 men who subsequently died of breast cancer prostate, waist circumference – 3,181 deaths, waist-hip ratio – 1,639 deaths and body fat percentage – 670 deaths. Obesity is associated with a higher risk of death from prostate cancer. It found that every five-point increase in body mass index increased the risk of dying from prostate cancer by 10%, while a 5% increase in total body fat increased the risk by 3%. Similarly, the risk is increased in central obesity. Each 0.05 increase in waist-to-hip ratio increases the risk of dying from prostate cancer by 6%. Every 10 cm increase in waist circumference increases the risk by 7%. Men with higher total and central obesity were found to have a higher risk of death from prostate cancer than men of a healthy weight. It is not clear what lies behind the relationship, several biological mechanisms have been suggested. However, differences in detection are also likely to matter.The disease can be more difficult to detect in obese men, leading to later diagnosis when treatment is already difficult. More research is needed to determine whether the association is biologically driven or due to a delay in detection in obese men. Either way, the latest results provide yet another reason for men to try to maintain a healthy weight. References: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-022-02336-x