Exercise could help middle-aged men reduce their risk of some cancers, according to a new study from the University of Vermont in Colchester. This new research shows that the fitness levels in men in their 40s and 50s plays an important role in lowering the instance, as well as the fatality rates, of cancer.
This new funding supports the notion of natural cancer prevention through the adoption of behavioral changes, including exercise.
"Men who are physically fit are expected to have lower levels of [cancer-related] sex hormones, enhanced immunity and lower inflammation. These effects may act together to inhibit cancer as well as risk of dying from cancer or heart disease," Susan Lakoski, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Vermont, said.
Fitness assessments of 13,949 men taken between 1971 and 2009 were examined as part of the study, with subjects averaging 49 years of age. This data was compared with Medicare records of participants, averaging 65 years of age, recorded between 1999 and 2009. Within an average of 6.5 years after their initial baseline was completed, 1,310 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, 200 with lung cancer, and 181 with colon cancer. A distinct correlation was found between cancer risk and levels of physical activity, according to researchers.
Men who were fit and exercised regularly were found to have a lung cancer rate 55 percent below that of unfit males. Colon cancer was reduced 44 percent among active males, the study revealed. Death rates from cancer were reduced 32 percent among fit males, while fatalities from cardiovascular disease were found to be reduced 68 percent. Prostate cancer was the only variety of the disease that did not seem to be influenced by exercise.
Rates of exercise are often measured using a unit known as Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET). One unit is equivalent to running a mile in 11.5 minutes as opposed to 12 minutes.
"Even a small improvement in fitness (by 1 MET) made a significant difference in survival — reducing the risks of dying from cancer and cardiovascular disease by 10 percent and 25 percent, respectively," Lakoski said.
Around four in 10 Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. More than 1,665,000 people were diagnosed with some form of cancer in the United States during 2014.
Many heath experts encourage Americans to take part in 30 minutes of physical activity, five times a day. These guidelines are based on maximizing cardiac health.
Analysis of the role of exercise in reducing the risk of cancers among middle-aged men was detailed in the journal JAMA Oncology.
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