Study published in American Journal of Epidemiology finds men with high blood levels of particular type of the omega-3 fat DHA are at significantly higher risk for aggressive prostate cancer (M)
Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects that may help protect against heart disease, studies have shown. But men with high blood levels of the omega-3 fat docosahexaenoic acid, or D.H.A., were at significantly greater risk for aggressive prostate cancer, a large study has found.
The finding was published online April 24 in The American Journal of Epidemiology.
Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle examined the association between fatty acids in the blood and prostate cancer prevalence among participants in the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. Their analysis matched 1,658 participants ages 55 to 84 with 1,803 controls for comparison.
Men with the highest blood D.H.A. levels were 2.5 times more likely to develop high-grade, aggressive prostate cancer than those with the lowest D.H.A. levels, the researchers found.
Another surprising finding was that men with the highest blood levels of trans fatty acids, which are harmful to the heart, had half the risk of aggressive prostate cancer compared with those who had the lowest levels.
Both results confounded the scientists. ''I can't really explain it,'' said Theodore M. Brasky, lead author of the paper, adding: ''If anyone is wondering whether to change their diet, the answer is no. You have to weigh the risks, and a man's risk of dying of heart disease is much greater than his risk for high-grade prostate cancer, which is very rare.''
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