Study: Diabetes may lower the risk of prostate cancer in men

Reuters UK – Men with long-term diabetes may have a reduced risk of prostate cancer, according to the results of a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

"Recent studies have suggested an association between type 2 diabetes mellitus and lower risk of prostate cancer," Dr. Mona Saraiya and colleagues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, write. "It has been hypothesized that men with long-term diabetes have a lower risk of prostate cancer than non-diabetic men, and recently diagnosed men have a higher risk."

In the current study, the researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001 to 2002 to investigate the association between diabetes and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, a biological marker for prostate cancer. Higher PSA levels indicate an increased risk of cancer.

The researchers adjusted the findings for the effect of known potential risk factors. For subjects without a diagnosis of diabetes, the researchers used fasting blood sugar measurements to determine the presence of undiagnosed diabetes.

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