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.