Exercise can help slash prostate cancer risk in men
Thursday, 06 January 2011, 22:47 IST
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London: Regular exercise can help men with prostate cancer halve their risk of dying from the disease, a British study has found. The study found that physical activity was linked to a lower risk of dying prematurely from any cause, and in particular from the disease. Researchers also found that men who did more vigorous activity had the lowest chance of dying from the disease, cutting the risk by 60 percent, the Journal of Clinical Oncology reports. "This is good news for men living with prostate cancer who wonder what lifestyle practices to follow to improve cancer survival," said Stacey Kenfield, a researcher from the Harvard School of Public Health. Every year, nearly 35,000 British men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and more than 10,000 die from it, according to the Daily Mail. The 18-year study by the Harvard School and the University of California looked at 2,705 men diagnosed with the disease. Both non-vigorous and vigorous activity were found to be beneficial. Compared with men who walked less than 90 minutes a week at an easy pace, those who walked 90 or more at a normal to very brisk pace had a 46 percent lower risk of dying from any cause. Only vigorous activity - more than three hours per week - was associated with reduced prostate cancer mortality. Men who did vigorous activity had a 61 percent lower risk of a prostate cancer-related death than men who did less than an hour of vigorous activity a week. Kenfield said those with prostate cancer "should do some physical activity for their overall health, even if it is a small amount - such as 15 minutes a day".
Source: IANS
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