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| Sarah McGowan-Freije, NatureCity author & contributor |
Prostate cancer is the most common form of death from cancer in men over 75. Recent research suggests that exercising regularly may lower the risk of prostate cancer for Caucasian men.
The study included 164 white men and 143 African-American men with an average age of 64 who were undergoing prostate biopsy. 125 of the men were diagnosed with prostate cancer, 54 of whom had high-grade disease.
The participants filled out a survey that assessed the amount of exercise they perform regularly. No difference in the amount of exercise between the racial subgroups was found. The participants were classified as sedentary, mildly active, moderately active and highly active.
When the researchers compared exercise levels, they found that white men who were moderately to highly active were less likely to develop prostate cancer than those who were mildly active or sedentary. Additionally, the men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer and exercised regularly were significantly less likely have high-grade disease.
No difference in risk was found for African-American men.
The study was conducted by researchers at the Durham Veterans Medical Center in Durham, NC. It was published online ahead of print on February 11, 2013, in the journal Cancer.
Previous clinical studies suggest that even moderate exercise can help with blood sugar control, reduce body weight, improve heart health, improve respiratory health and reduce the risk of dying prematurely.






