A recently published paper (Feb 2012) explained that heart disease increases one’s risk for prostate cancer. This is not a surprise as both heart disease (1-5) and prostate cancer (6-9) are promoted by chronic inflammation, a fact that has been known for a long time.

However, there is a key inaccuracy in the news message. It is not that heart disease causes prostate cancer; rather, both diseases are caused by chronic inflammation, such that the diseases cluster together.

The goal should not be to wait until these diseases express themselves, which they definitely will, if men pursue inflammation. Rather, men should pursue a “deflamed” state, which will give them a better chance of not expressing chronic inflammatory diseases.

Additionally, at least as early as 2005, researchers suggested that the “anti-prostate cancer” diet should be the same as the “anti-heart disease” diet: for prostate health:

“It would be prudent to emphasize a diet consisting of a wide variety of plant-based foods and fish; this is similar to what is recommended (and what is more well established) for the primary prevention of heart disease” (10).

And then in 2008, researchers told us that the “fast food, cold cut, chips and white bread diet” increases prostate cancer expression (11).

References

Ross R. Atherosclerosis – an inflammatory disease. New Eng J Med 1999;340:115-26.
Hansson GK. Immune mechanisms in atherosclerosis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2001;21:1876-90.
Libby P et al. Inflammation and atherosclerosis. Circulation. 2002;105(9):1135-43.
De Caterina R. From asthma to atherosclerosis–5-lipoxygenase, leukotrienes, and inflammation. N Engl J Med. 2004;350(1):4-7.
Willerson JT, Ridker PM. Inflammation as a cardiovascular risk factor. Circulation 2004;109(suppl II):2-10.
De Nunzio C et al. The controversial relationship between benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer: the role of inflammation. Eur Urol. 2011;60(1):106-17.
Sciarra A et al. Prostate growth and inflammation. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 2008;108(3-5):254-60.
Kramer G, Mitteregger D, Marberger M. Is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) an immune inflammatory disease? Eur Urol. 2007;51(5):1202-16.
Hughes C et al. Molecular pathology of prostate cancer. J Clin Pathol. 2005;58(7):673-84.
Chan JM et al . Role of diet in prostate cancer development and progression. J Clin Oncol. 2005; 23:8152-60.
Ambrosini GL et al. Dietary patterns Identified using factor analysis and prostate cancer risk: A case control study in Western Australia. Ann Epidemiol. 2008;18(5):364-70.