Systematic review and meta-analysis of the association of cardiometabolic diseases and risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer

Risk factors for aggressive prostate cancer are not well defined. A systematic review and meta-analysis by researchers of Georgetown University (Washington, DC) assessed the relationship between cardiometabolic diseases (diabetes, dyslipidemia, obesity, and hypertension) and the risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer (T3-T4, Grade Group 4-5, N1, or M1). The analysis included 25 cohort studies of over 974,000 men. Diabetes (HR 1.18; p=0.0008), obesity (HR 1.15; p=0.0006), and hypertension (HT 1.07; p=0.04) were associated with significantly elevated risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer. This was not the case for dyslipidemia (HR 1.03; p=0.26). The authors conclude that if these associations are shown to be causal, promotion of lifestyle modifications may improved prostate cancer outcomes.