Scientists using a new technique of measuring risk factors for prostate cancer have discovered an exciting link between a dearth of physical activity and an increased risk of this condition.
Prostate cancer is the second most common type of cancer among males in the United States. As per the data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), by the end of 2019, as estimated 175,760 new cases of prostate cancer in America alone will have been affected by the disease.
In some males, the prostate gradually becomes large and occasionally does not even need any treatment. Nevertheless, in another case, it breeds very swiftly and also spreads rapidly. This aggressive growth can lead to malignant cancer, which is characterized by symptoms such as trouble urinating, blood in sperm, erectile dysfunction, bone pain, and more.
In spite of the number of people affected by prostate cancer every year, researchers still have inadequate knowledge about the risk factors that may be instrumental in its development.
The cancer institute refers to a combination of modifiable and nonmodifiable factors, including age, a family history of the disease.
However, other lifestyle-related factors may also play a role, and researchers are finding it increasingly difficult to discover what those are.
Lately, a team of investigators from the University of Bristol and Imperial College London in the United Kingdom — alongside equals from other educational institutions worldwide — have employed a different method to try to discover more the risk factors about prostate cancer.
Researchers, in their latest research, employed a method, Mendelian randomization, the results of which are now available in a reputed journal.
The journal, Trusted Source, provides investigators an opportunity to look at genetic disparities to measure underlying relationships between various potential risk factors and the development of certain results — in this case, prostate cancer.
Physical exercise may considerably reduce the risk
The investigators, in their research, recognized likely risk factors for prostate cancer through the World Cancer Research Fund’s (WCRF) 2018 systematic review of the evidence.
They also had access to the medical information of 80,148 participants with the cancer, as well as 62,106 participants without the disease who acted as the controls.
The study discovered that people with a genetic disparity that increased their probability of being physically active had a 52% lower risk of prostate cancer than people who did not have this genetic disparity.
Furthermore, the investigators explain that “physical activity,” in this case, implies all forms of activity, not just workout.
Following on from this, the research scientists conclude that intrusions encouraging men to bolster their levels of physical activity may have a defensive effect against this prevalent form of cancer.