Statin use by obese men may raise prostate cancer risk

NEW YORK Use of statins to lower cholesterol may increase the risk of prostate cancer in obese men, particularly if they’re used over a long period of time, according to a study published in the American Journal of Epedimiology.

The study, led by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, examined 1,001 men diagnosed with prostate cancer between 2002 and 2005 and 942 similarly aged men without cancer in the control group.

The researchers did not find a link between present or past use of statins and prostate cancer risk overall, but did find an increased risk of prostate cancer among obese men associated with current statin use over long periods of time.