Lower cholesterol levels are associated with a lower risk of high-grade prostate cancer, according to a study published in the October issue of the International Journal of Cancer.

Lower cholesterol levels are associated with a lower risk of high-grade prostate cancer, according to a study published in the October issue of the International Journal of Cancer .

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland, and their colleagues examined information from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and identified 698 individuals with prostate cancer, as well as 698 matched individuals who did not have prostate cancer, but had undergone a prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening test. The researchers found that low cholesterol was associated with a decreased risk of high-grade prostate cancer.

At this time, there is not yet enough evidence to recommend that men who are at risk for prostate cancer should be placed on cholesterol-lowering drugs. Although maintaining a normal cholesterol level can help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, more research is needed to determine whether lowering cholesterol can actually lower prostate cancer risk.

Source

Int J Cancer 2008;123:1693-1698.