SCIENCE IN THE NEWS DAILY

Low Cholesterol, Low Prostate Risk?

from the Philadelphia Inquirer

(Associated Press) -- Men may protect more than their hearts if they keep cholesterol in line: Their chances of getting aggressive prostate cancer may be lower, new research suggests.

One study found that men whose cholesterol was in a healthy range--below 200--had less than half the risk of developing high-grade prostate tumors compared with men with high cholesterol. A second study found that men with lots of HDL, or "good cholesterol," were a little less likely to develop any form of prostate cancer than men with very low HDL.

Both studies were published Tuesday in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. The two studies are not definitive and have some weaknesses. Yet they fit with plenty of other science suggesting that limiting fats in the blood can lessen cancer risk.