Hypercholesterolemia and prostate cancer: a hospital-based case-control study

• Published in: Cancer causes & control Vol. 19; no. 10; pp. 1259 - 1266
• Main Authors: Magura, Lindsay, Blanchard, Richelle, Hope, Brian, Beal, James R, Schwartz, Gary G, Sahmoun, Abe E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.12.2008; Springer; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Body Mass Index; Cancer Research; Case control studies; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Cholesterols; Confidence Intervals; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Drugs; Epidemiology; European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Family Health; Family history; Family medical history; HDL lipoproteins; Health sciences; Hematology; Hospitals; Hospitals - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Hypercholesterolemia - blood; Hypercholesterolemia - epidemiology; Incidence; Lipids; Logistic Models; Male; Medicine; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Oncology; Original Paper; Prevalence; Prostate; Prostate cancer; Prostatic Neoplasms - blood; Prostatic Neoplasms - epidemiology; Prostatic Neoplasms - pathology; Public Health; Registries - statistics & numerical data; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Smoking; Statins; Tobacco smoking; Vitamins; Vitamins - therapeutic use; United States > US; North Dakota; Hypercholesterolemia; Prostate cancer; Epidemiology; Statins; Lipid profiles
• ISSN: 0957-5243; 1573-7225
• DOI: 10.1007/s10552-008-9197-7

Objective High levels of serum cholesterol have been proposed to increase the risk of prostate cancer but the epidemiologic evidence is limited. Methods We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in Fargo, ND, USA, to examine the association between hypercholesterolemia and prostate cancer. Cases were men with incident, histologically confirmed prostate cancer. Controls were men without clinical cancer who were seen at the same hospital for an annual physical exam. Demographic and clinical data were abstracted from patients' medical charts. Results From a patient population aged 50 to 74 years old, we obtained data on 312 White cases and 319 White controls. Hypercholesterolemia was defined as total cholesterol greater than 5.17 (mmol/l). Univariate logistic regression showed a significant association between hypercholesterolemia and prostate cancer (odds ratio (OR) = 1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-2.27). This association changed only slightly after adjustment for age, family history of prostate cancer, body mass index, type 2 diabetes, smoking, and multivitamin use (OR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.11-2.24). A significant association was found between low HDL and prostate cancer (OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.04-2.36). High LDL was associated with a 60% increased risk for prostate cancer (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.09-2.34). Compared to never smokers, current smokers had an 84% increased risk for prostate cancer (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.09-3.13). Conclusion This study adds to recent evidence that hypercholesterolemia may increase the risk of prostate cancer in white men.