BMI trajectories and risk of overall and grade-specific prostate cancer: An observational cohort study among men seen for prostatic conditions

Excess weight, weight gain, and prostate cancer risk and prognosis: the PROCA-life study

BACKGROUND

Studies of excess weight and weight changes throughout adult life for prostate cancer (PCa) risk and prognosis have shown inconsistent results.

METHODS

In a population-based cohort, the Prostate Cancer Study throughout life (PROCA-life), 16,960 healthy men from the prospective cohort Tromsø Study (1994-2016) were included. Body mass index (BMI) and weight were measured at all four attendings, and weight change was calculated as the difference between the first and last of either Tromsø4, Tromsø5 or Tromsø6. Overall, 904 men developed PCa during 16 years of follow-up, and Poisson regression with fractional polynomials was used to investigate trends in incidence. Cox proportional hazard and logistic regression models were used to study associations between measurements of BMI and weight change and PCa risk, severity, and mortality.

RESULTS

At study entry, 46% of the participants (median age 44 years) were overweight, and 14% were obese (BMI > 30 kg/m2). We observed a 127% increase in overall age adjusted PCa incidence in the cohort during 1995 through 2019. No overall associations between BMI or weight change and PCa risk were observed. However, in sub-group analysis, weight gain among obese men was associated with a three-fold higher PCa risk (HR 3.03, 95% CI 1.39-6.58) compared with obese men with stable weight. Overweight was associated with lower risk of metastatic cancer (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.30-0.75) at diagnosis. Men with obesity had higher risk of PCa-specific death (HR 1.72, 95% CI 1.03-2.88), while nonsmoking obese PCa cases had two times higher PCa-specific mortality compared with normal weighted PCa cases (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.11-3.70).

INTERPRETATION

In our cohort, weight gain among obese men was associated with higher risk of PCa, and obesity was associated with higher PCa-specific mortality, especially among nonsmokers. The relationship between weight and risk for PCa remains complicated, and future studies are needed to determine clinical implications.

Association between genetically proxied PCSK9 inhibition and prostate cancer risk: A Mendelian randomisation study

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PrCa) is the second most prevalent malignancy in men worldwide. Observational studies have linked the use of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) lowering therapies with reduced risk of PrCa, which may potentially be attributable to confounding factors. In this study, we performed a drug target Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis to evaluate the association of genetically proxied inhibition of LDL-c-lowering drug targets on risk of PrCa.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with LDL-c (P < 5 × 10-8) from the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium genome-wide association study (GWAS) (N = 1,320,016) and located in and around the HMGCR, NPC1L1, and PCSK9 genes were used to proxy the therapeutic inhibition of these targets. Summary-level data regarding the risk of total, advanced, and early-onset PrCa were obtained from the PRACTICAL consortium. Validation analyses were performed using genetic instruments from an LDL-c GWAS conducted on male UK Biobank participants of European ancestry (N = 201,678), as well as instruments selected based on liver-derived gene expression and circulation plasma levels of targets. We also investigated whether putative mediators may play a role in findings for traits previously implicated in PrCa risk (i.e., lipoprotein a (Lp(a)), body mass index (BMI), and testosterone). Applying two-sample MR using the inverse-variance weighted approach provided strong evidence supporting an effect of genetically proxied inhibition of PCSK9 (equivalent to a standard deviation (SD) reduction in LDL-c) on lower risk of total PrCa (odds ratio (OR) = 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.76 to 0.96, P = 9.15 × 10-3) and early-onset PrCa (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.52 to 0.95, P = 0.023). Genetically proxied HMGCR inhibition provided a similar central effect estimate on PrCa risk, although with a wider 95% CI (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.62 to 1.13, P = 0.244), whereas genetically proxied NPC1L1 inhibition had an effect on higher PrCa risk with a 95% CI that likewise included the null (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 0.87 to 2.04, P = 0.180). Analyses using male-stratified instruments provided consistent results. Secondary MR analyses supported a genetically proxied effect of liver-specific PCSK9 expression (OR = 0.90 per SD reduction in PCSK9 expression, 95% CI = 0.86 to 0.95, P = 5.50 × 10-5) and circulating plasma levels of PCSK9 (OR = 0.93 per SD reduction in PCSK9 protein levels, 95% CI = 0.87 to 0.997, P = 0.04) on PrCa risk. Colocalization analyses identified strong evidence (posterior probability (PPA) = 81.3%) of a shared genetic variant (rs553741) between liver-derived PCSK9 expression and PrCa risk, whereas weak evidence was found for HMGCR (PPA = 0.33%) and NPC1L1 expression (PPA = 0.38%). Moreover, genetically proxied PCSK9 inhibition was strongly associated with Lp(a) levels (Beta = -0.08, 95% CI = -0.12 to -0.05, P = 1.00 × 10-5), but not BMI or testosterone, indicating a possible role for Lp(a) in the biological mechanism underlying the association between PCSK9 and PrCa. Notably, we emphasise that our estimates are based on a lifelong exposure that makes direct comparisons with trial results challenging.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study supports a strong association between genetically proxied inhibition of PCSK9 and a lower risk of total and early-onset PrCa, potentially through an alternative mechanism other than the on-target effect on LDL-c. Further evidence from clinical studies is needed to confirm this finding as well as the putative mediatory role of Lp(a).

A longitudinal evaluation of alcohol intake throughout adulthood and colorectal cancer risk

BACKGROUND

Alcohol intake is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC); however, there is limited knowledge on whether changing alcohol drinking habits during adulthood modifies CRC risk.

OBJECTIVE

Leveraging longitudinal exposure assessments on alcohol intake at different ages, we examined the relationship between change in alcohol intake and subsequent CRC risk.

METHODS

Within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, changes in alcohol intake comparing follow-up with baseline assessments were investigated in relation to CRC risk. The analysis included 191,180, participants and 1530 incident CRC cases, with exclusion of the first three years of follow-up to minimize reverse causation. Trajectory profiles of alcohol intake, assessed at ages 20, 30, 40, 50 years, at baseline and during follow-up, were estimated using latent class mixed models and related to CRC risk, including 407,605 participants and 5,008 incident CRC cases.

RESULTS

Mean age at baseline was 50.2 years and the follow-up assessment occurred on average 7.1 years later. Compared to stable intake, a 12 g/day increase in alcohol intake during follow-up was positively associated with CRC risk (HR = 1.15, 95%CI 1.04, 1.25), while a 12 g/day reduction was inversely associated with CRC risk (HR = 0.86, 95%CI 0.78, 0.95). Trajectory analysis showed that compared to low alcohol intake, men who increased their alcohol intake from early- to mid- and late-adulthood by up to 30 g/day on average had significantly increased CRC risk (HR = 1.24; 95%CI 1.08, 1.42), while no associations were observed in women. Results were consistent by anatomical subsite.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing alcohol intake during mid-to-late adulthood raised CRC risk, while reduction lowered risk.

A nomogram for accurately predicting the pathological upgrading of prostate cancer, based on 68 Ga-PSMA PET/CT

PURPOSE

To develop and validate a nomogram for preoperative predicting the pathological upgrading of prostate cancer (PCa).

METHODS

The prediction model was developed in a primary cohort that consisted of 208 PCa patients. All patients included in the study possessed both biopsy pathology specimens and radical prostatectomy pathology specimens, and completed the (⁶⁸ Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen [PSMA]) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) detection. The R function "createDataPartition" was used in a 7:3 ratio to randomly divide the patients into training and validation cohorts. In the training cohort, the independent predictors of pathological upgrading of PCa were determined by univariate analysis, univariate regression analysis and multivariate regression analysis. Based on these independent predictors, a nomogram was developed, and its performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, area under the curve (AUC) and calibration curve of training cohort and validation cohort.

RESULTS

The nomogram incorporated five independent predictors including prostate volume (PV), SUV_max of the ⁶⁸ Ga-PSMA PET/CT examination on prostate lesions (SUV_max ), body mass index (BMI); percentage of cancer positive biopsy cores (PPC) and biopsy International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade. The nomogram showed good diagnostic accuracy for the pathological upgrading of both the training cohort and the validation cohort (AUC = 0.818 and 0.806, respectively). The calibration curves for the two cohorts both showed optimal agreement between nomogram prediction and actual observation.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed and validated a nomogram to accurately predict the risk of pathological upgrading after radical PCa surgery, which can provide accurate basis for therapeutic schedule and prognostic data of PCa patients.

Extreme body mass index is associated with poor survival outcomes after radical cystectomy: a retrospective cohort study in a Chinese population

Background

Body mass index (BMI) has been evidenced to be a significant prognostic factor in multiple cancers. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the association between BMI and survival outcomes after radical cystectomy (RC) in patients with bladder cancer (BCa).

Methods

Clinical and pathological parameters of patients who were diagnosed with BCa and received RC between 2010 and 2018 were collected. The associations between BMI at surgery and clinicopathological features were examined. The prognostic value of BCa for overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) was examined using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression models.

Results

Among the 217 patients enrolled in this study, 13 (6.0%), 121 (55.8%), 60 (27.6%), and 23 (10.6%) had a BMI value of <18.5 kg/m² (underweight), 18.5–23.9 kg/m² (normal), 24–27.9 kg/m² (overweight), and ≥28 kg/m² (obese), respectively. Underweight and obese patients tended to have poorer survival after RC than normal and overweight patients (P<0.05). Multivariable Cox regression revealed that extreme BMI was an independent predictor of both OS (BMI <18.5 vs. 18.5–27.9 kg/m², OR =2.675, 95% CI: 1.131–6.327, P=0.025; BMI ≥28 vs. 18.5–27.9 kg/m², OR =3.693, 95% CI: 1.589–8.583, P=0.002) and CSS (BMI <18.5 vs. 18.5–27.9 kg/m², OR =3.012, 95% CI: 1.180–7.687, P=0.021; BMI ≥28 vs. 18.5–27.9 kg/m², OR =3.801, 95% CI: 1.526–9.469, P=0.004), along with tumor stage and urinary diversion type.

Conclusions

Being underweight or obese is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with BCa undergoing RC. For patients who are preparing to undergo RC for BCa, controlling the BMI index through diet or exercise before surgery may contribute to the surgical curative effect and an improved prognosis.

Trajectories of middle-aged and elderly people's chronic diseases Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs): cohort, socio-economic status and gender disparities

BACKGROUND

The accelerated aging trend brought great chronic diseases burdens. Disabled Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) is a novel way to measure the chronic diseases burden. This study aimed to explore the cohort, socioeconomic status (SES), and gender disparities of the DALYs trajectories.

METHODS

A total of 15,062 participants (55,740 observations) comes from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) from 2011 to 2018. Mixed growth curve model was adopted to predict the DALYS trajectories in 45-90 years old people influenced by different birth cohorts and SES.

RESULTS

We find significant cohort, SES (resident place, education level and income) disparities differences in the chronic diseases DALYs. For individuals of earlier cohort, DALYs are developed in a late age but grow fast with age but reversed for most recent cohorts. Living in urban, having higher SES level will decrease the growth rate with age, but converges for most recent cohorts. Meanwhile, DALYs disparities of resident place and education level show gender differentials that those for female are narrowed across cohort but for male are not.

CONCLUSIONS

The cohort effects on chronic diseases DALYs are accumulated with China's unique social, and political settings. There are large inequalities in early experiences, SES and DALYs. Efforts of reducing these inequalities must focus on the lower SES individuals and those living in rural areas, which greatly benefit individuals from recent cohorts.

General and abdominal obesity trajectories across adulthood, and risk of prostate cancer: results from the PROtEuS study, Montreal, Canada

PURPOSE

Greater body fatness is a probable cause of advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Body fat distribution and timing of exposure may be relevant. We investigated associations between body size trajectories and PCa incidence in a population-based case-control study in Montreal, Canada.

METHODS

Cases (n = 1,931), aged ≤ 75 years, were diagnosed with PCa in 2005-2009; 1,994 controls were selected from the electoral list. Interviews were conducted to assess body mass index (BMI) and Stunkard's silhouette at ages 20, 40, 50, 60 years, and before interview. Current waist and hip circumferences were measured, and a predictive model estimated waist circumference in the past. BMI and waist circumference trajectories were determined to identify subgroups. Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between anthropometric indicators and PCa.

RESULTS

Subjects with a current BMI ≥ 30 kg/m² had a lower risk of overall PCa (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.85). Associations with adult BMI followed similar trends for less and more aggressive tumors, with stronger inverse relationships in early adulthood. Contrastingly, current waist circumference ≥ 102 cm was associated with elevated risk of high-grade PCa (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.03-1.71). Men with increasing BMI or waist circumference adult trajectories had a lower risk of PCa, especially low-grade, than those in the normal-stable range. This was especially evident among men in the obese-increase group for BMI and waist circumference.

CONCLUSION

Abdominal obesity increased the risk of aggressive PCa. The inverse relationship between body size trajectories and PCa may reflect PSA hemodilution, lower detection, and/or a true etiological effect.

Overall and abdominal obesity and prostate cancer risk in a West African population: An analysis of the Ghana Prostate Study

Obesity has been associated with an increased risk of advanced prostate cancer. However, most studies have been conducted among North American and European populations. Prostate cancer mortality appears elevated in West Africa, yet risk factors for prostate cancer in this region are unknown. We thus examined the relationship between obesity and prostate cancer using a case-control study conducted in Accra, Ghana in 2004 to 2012. Cases and controls were drawn from a population-based sample of 1037 men screened for prostate cancer, yielding 73 cases and 964 controls. An additional 493 incident cases were recruited from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Anthropometric measurements were taken at enrollment. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR) and prostate cancer, adjusting for potential confounders. The mean BMI was 25.1 kg/m2 for cases and 24.3 kg/m2 for controls. After adjustment, men with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 had an increased risk of prostate cancer relative to men with BMI < 25 kg/m2 (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.11-3.13). Elevated WC (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.24-2.51) and WHR (OR 1.46, 95% CI 0.99-2.16) were also associated with prostate cancer. Associations were not modified by smoking status and were evident for low- and high-grade disease. These findings indicate that overall and abdominal obesity are positively associated with prostate cancer among men in Ghana, implicating obesity as a potentially modifiable risk factor for prostate cancer in this region.

Body mass index trajectories and prostate cancer risk: Results from the EPICAP study

Elevated body mass index (BMI) has been inconsistently associated with prostate cancer occurrence but it has been suggested that life course adulthood obesity may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. However, few studies have investigated lifetime BMI and prostate cancer risk. We analyzed life course BMI trajectories on prostate cancer risk based on data from the Epidemiological study of Prostate Cancer (EPICAP). We included in our analyses 781 incident prostate cancer cases and 829 controls frequency matched by age. Participants were asked about their weight every decade from age 20 to two years before reference date. BMI trajectories were determined using group-based trajectory modeling to identify groups of men with similar patterns of BMI changes. We identified five BMI trajectories groups. Men with a normal BMI at age 20 developing overweight or obesity during adulthood were at increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer compared to men who maintained a normal BMI. Our results suggest that BMI trajectories resulting in overweight or obesity during adulthood are associated with an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer, particularly in never smokers, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a healthy BMI throughout adulthood.

Risk of subsequent prostate cancer in peptic ulcer patients who received helicobacter pylori eradication therapy: an Asian population-based cohort study

Background

Studies have shown diverse results regarding the association between H. pylori (HP) infection and the risk of malignancy. There is accumulating evidence relating HP infection to urological diseases. We investigated whether there was an association between HP-infected peptic ulcers and the subsequent risk of prostate cancer.

Methods

We collected HP-infected male patients from 1998 to 2008 from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database (LHID). HP-infected patients were identified as those who had a diagnosis of peptic ulcers upon admission and received HP eradication therapy within 1 year after diagnosis. The date of HP infection diagnosis upon admission was defined as the index date. Patients aged < 20 years or with a cancer history were excluded. For each HP-infected patient, we selected four males without peptic ulcers or a history of HP eradication in the LHID for the comparison cohort according to propensity score matching by age, index year, and comorbidity. The risk of prostate cancer and associated risk factors was assessed by Cox proportional hazard regression.

Results

A total of 2620 HP infection treatment patients and 10,480 matched comparisons were selected. There were 36 patients in the HP-infected treatment cohort and 117 patients in the comparison cohort with documented prostate cancer development (1.52 and 1.21 per 1000 person-years, respectively). Compared to the comparison cohort, the HP infection cohort had a 1.26-fold increased prostate cancer risk in the Cox models after adjusting for matched-pairs (95% CI = 0.87–1.34). There were no significant differences in subsequent prostate cancer development between HP-infected treatment patients and the comparison cohort.

Conclusion

Our findings showed no significant association between HP-infected peptic ulcers and the subsequent risk of prostate cancer. Further studies are warranted to investigate whether this observation is attributable to an HP eradication policy.

Distinct developmental trajectories of body mass index and diabetes risk: A 5-year longitudinal study of Chinese adults

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

This longitudinal study aimed to explore whether distinct developmental trajectories of body mass index (BMI) would be predictive of diabetes risk in general Chinese adults.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 4,519 participants aged >18 years who were free of diabetes in 2011 (baseline of the current analysis) were enrolled in this study. All participants completed a medical examination every year during 2011-2016, and BMI levels were measured two to six (average 5.6) times. Group-based trajectory modeling was applied to identify BMI trajectories over time. New-onset diabetes was confirmed in 2016.

RESULTS

During 2011-2016, four distinct BMI trajectories were identified according to BMI range and changing pattern over time: "low" (19.6%), "moderate" (33.4%), "moderate-high" (33.4%) and "high" (13.6%). A total of 168 (3.7%) new-onset diabetes cases were confirmed in 2016. Compared with the "low" BMI trajectory, participants in the "high" BMI trajectory were at significantly higher risk for new-onset diabetes (adjusted relative risk 3.24, 95% confidence interval 1.27-8.24). Notably, BMI trajectories based on the first four or three annual BMI tests yielded similar results. By contrast, no significant correlation was found between categories of baseline BMI and new-onset diabetes in 2016 after multivariate adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

The present results show that distinct BMI trajectories, even identified using just four or three annual BMI tests, are significantly associated with new-onset diabetes. Monitoring BMI trajectories over time might provide an important approach to identify subpopulations at higher risk for developing diabetes.

Inflammatory serum markers and risk and severity of prostate cancer: The PROCA-life study

Whether chronic inflammation mirrored by high levels of systemic inflammatory markers such as high sensitive-CRP (hs-CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC) are associated with prostate cancer development remains unclear. In the Prostate Cancer Study throughout Life (PROCA-life), a prospective population-based cohort study, 7,356 men were included. Prediagnostic WBC and hs-CRP were assessed from blood collected at study entry; 2,210 participants also had a second CRP measure during follow-up. During a mean 11.8 years follow-up, 509 men developed prostate cancer (mean age at diagnosis 71.7 years). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to study whether individual biomarkers (WBC, hs-CRP), a combined score based on analyte tertiles (score range 2-6), or change in CRP were associated with risk and severity of prostate cancer. We observed a positive dose-response relationship between hs-CRP and prostate cancer risk with a Hazard Ratio (HR) per mg/l of 1.3, 95% CI 1.00-1.07. Men with an increase in hs-CRP between two measurements (Δhs-CRP) of ≥1.00 mg/l had a 36% increased risk of prostate cancer (HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.02-1.82), compared to men with no change or decrease in hs-CRP. Men with a systemic inflammatory score of 5 or 6 had a 68% higher risk of being diagnosed with metastatic disease (HR 1.68, 95% CI, 1.04-2.73) compared to men with lower scores. Our study supports that hs-CRP including repeated measurements alone or in combination with WBC may be a useful inflammation-related biomarker for prostate cancer risk and prognosis.

Association of Long-Term Dynamics in Circulating Testosterone with Serum PSA in Prostate Cancer-Free Men with Initial-PSA < 4 ng/mL

We previously reported that an accelerated decline in circulating testosterone level is associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer (PCa). This study is to examine whether testosterone change rate is related to serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentration among PCa-free men. Longitudinal data were derived from electronic medical records at a tertiary hospital in the Southeastern USA. PCa-free men with initial-PSA < 4 ng/mL and ≥ 2 testosterone measurements were included (n = 632). Three PSA measures (peak, the most recent, and average PSA) during the study period (from first testosterone measurement to the most recent hospital visit) were examined using multivariable-adjusted geometric means and were compared across quintiles of testosterone change rate (ng/dL/month) and current testosterone level (cross-sectional). Mean (standard deviation, SD) age at baseline was 59.3 (10.5) years; mean study period was 93.0 (55.3) months. After adjusting for covariates including baseline testosterone, the three PSA measures all significantly increased across quintile of testosterone change rate from increase to decline (peak PSA: quint 1 = 1.09, quint 5 = 1.41; the most recent PSA: quint 1 = 0.85, quint 5 = 1.00; average PSA: quint 1 = 0.89, quint 5 = 1.02; all P_trend < 0.001). But current testosterone level was not associated with PSA levels. Stratified analyses indicated men with higher adiposity (body mass index > 24.1 kg/m²) or lower baseline testosterone (≤ 296 ng/dL) were more sensitive to testosterone change in regard to PSA. Among PCa-free men, accelerated testosterone decline might correlate with higher serum PSA concentration. It will help to elucidate the mechanisms relating aging-accompanying testosterone dynamics to prostate carcinogenesis.

Association of statin use with risk of Gleason score-specific prostate cancer: A hospital-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Conflicting evidence suggests that statins act chemopreventively against prostate cancer (PCa). Whether the association of statin use with PCa risk is Gleason score-dependent, time-, dose-respondent is not well studied.

METHODS

We conducted a cohort study at a tertiary hospital in the Southeastern US using longitudinal data of electronic medical records (EMR) from 1994 to 2016. Only cancer-free men aged >18 years at baseline with follow-up time of ≥12 months were included. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

Among 13 065 men, 2976 were diagnosed with PCa over median follow-up of 6.6 years. Statin use was associated with lower risk of both Gleason low- (score <7: aHR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74-0.96) and high-grade PCa (score ≥7: aHR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.42-0.69). The protective association was observed only when statins had been used for a relatively longer duration (≥11 months) or higher dose (≥121 defined daily doses), and were more pronounced for PCa of higher Gleason score (<7: aHR, 0.85, 95% CI, 0.74-0.96; 7 [3 + 4]: aHR, 0.62, 95% CI, 0.43-0.90; 7 [4 + 3]: aHR, 0.49, 95% CI, 0.29-0.82; 8: aHR, 0.60, 95% CI, 0.37-0.96; 9-10: aHR, 0.24, 95% CI, 0.11-0.54). Lipophilic statins (aHR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72-0.95) might be more protective than hydrophilic statins (aHR, 0.91, 95% CI, 0.63-1.33) against PCa.

CONCLUSION

Statin use might be associated with reduced PCa risk only when used for a relatively longer duration, and the risk reduction was higher for PCa of higher Gleason score.

BMI trajectories and risk of overall and grade-specific prostate cancer: An observational cohort study among men seen for prostatic conditions

Background

Dynamic longitudinal patterns in body mass index (BMI) have been suggested to better predict health outcomes than static measures. Effects of BMI trajectories on prostate cancer (PCa) risk have not been thoroughly explored.

Methods

Cohort data were derived from electronic medical records of patients who were admitted to a tertiary‐care hospital in the Southeastern USA during 1994‐2016. Patients with a history of urologic clinic visit because of any prostatic condition and with repeatedly measured BMI (n = 4857) were included. BMI trajectories prior to PCa diagnosis were assessed using the developmental trajectory analysis method. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was used to estimate adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for overall and grade‐specific PCa.

Results

The median age (interquartile range, IQR) of the participants at baseline was 63 (54, 72) years. Over a median follow‐up (IQR) of 8.0 (2.0, 13.0) years, 714 (14.7%, 714/4857) were diagnosed with PCa. Men with growing BMI trajectory progressing from normal weight to overweight/obese had a 76% increased PCa risk (aHR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.25, 2.48), and men being obese and experiencing progressive weight gain had 3.72‐fold increased PCa risk (aHR = 3.72; 95% CI: 1.60, 8.66), compared to men with persistently normal BMI. The associations were more pronounced for PCa with Gleason score ≥7. No significant association of decreasing BMI trajectory progressing from obese to normal BMI was found with PCa risk.

Conclusions

Progressively body weight gain during middle‐to‐late adulthood was associated with increased PCa risk for both normal weight and overweight men. Further studies are warranted to confirm this finding.