Statins Protect Against Prostate Cancer, Erectile
Dysfunction and Prostate Enlargement, Mayo Study Finds
Study followed older men 40 to 79 from 1990 to assess
urologic outcomes among aging men
April 27, 2009 For male senior citizens - the
predominate consumers of statins to lower cholesterol - there is an
abundance of good news about these drugs that is being released from a
large Mayo Clinic study. The researchers find in preliminary results that statins not only
lower cholesterol but protect against prostate cancer, erectile
dysfunction and prostate enlargement.
Sarcosine is better indicator of advancing disease
than traditional prostate specific antigen test (PSA); it is detected in
urine, researchers hopeful simple urine test can be used
The three initial research results are being
presented this week at the American Urological Association (AUA) meeting
in Chicago.
These Mayo Clinic study findings came from data in
the Olmsted County Study of Urinary Health Status among Men, a large
cohort study of men living in Olmsted County, Minn. This study has
followed 2,447 men ages 40 to 79 from 1990 to the present to assess
various urologic outcomes among aging men.
"One of the major advantages of this large cohort
study is that the men have participated in this study for over 15 years.
Because of this, we have the ability to look at associations between
statin use, how long statins were used and multiple aspects of urologic
function," says
Jennifer St. Sauver, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic epidemiologist and study
author.
Statins May Reduce Risk of Prostate Cancer
In the first study, researchers followed the 2,447
men for over 15 years and discovered that men taking statins were less
likely to develop
prostate cancer, compared to men who did not take
statins.
Of the statin users, 38 (6 percent) were diagnosed
with prostate cancer.
Comparatively, non-statin users were three times
more likely to develop prostate cancer, suggesting statin use may
prevent development of prostate cancer.
"In recent years, it has been suggested that statin
medications may prevent development of cancer. However, until now, there
has been limited evidence to support this theory," says Rodney Breau,
M.D., a Mayo Clinic urologic oncology fellow who led the study.
"Our
research provides evidence that statin use is associated with a
threefold reduced risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer."
Statin medications are currently used to lower
cholesterol or to help prevent heart attack and stroke in high-risk
patients. In the laboratory setting, researchers have observed that
statin medications prevent cancer cells from dividing and, in fact, may
cause some cancer cells to die.
"In the United States, one in six men will develop
prostate cancer; however, far more will develop heart disease," says
Jeffrey Karnes, M.D., Mayo Clinic urologist and senior author on the
study. "I tell my patients to take care of their heart because what's
good for the heart is also good for the prostate."
The investigators emphasize that these results are
preliminary. To determine if statins are protective for prostate cancer,
randomized controlled trials are necessary, says Dr. Karnes.
Statin Use May Protect Against Erectile
Dysfunction
Hyperlipidemia, high cholesterol and other risk
factors for heart disease have been shown to put men at risk for
erectile dysfunction (ED). With this in mind, Mayo Clinic researchers
studied 1,480 men from the Olmsted County cohort to determine if men who
used statins were less likely to develop erectile dysfunction, compared
to men who did not use statins.
Overall, statin use was not significantly
associated with a decreased risk of developing ED. However, statins were
associated with a decreased risk of ED among older men (>60 years).
Men in this age category who used statins were less
likely to develop ED, compared to older men who did not use statins.
Additionally, men who took statins for a longer time were more protected
against developing ED.
For example, men who took statins for nearly nine
years or more were 64 percent less likely to develop ED, while men who
took statins for less than three years had about the same risk of
developing ED. compared to men who did not take statins.
"Protection of vascular health remains an important
concomitant of preserving erectile health. Our data suggest that longer
use of statins may result in the lowest risk of erectile dysfunction,"
says
Ajay Nehra, M.D. , Mayo Clinic urologist and senior study author.
ED is common, and prevalence increases with age. It
affects 5 to 10 percent of men at age 40.
By age 70, from 40 to 60 percent of men have the
condition.
Statin Use May Prevent Prostate Enlargement
Benign prostatic enlargement affects one in four
men ages 40 to 50 and almost half of 70- to 80-year-old men. The
condition is most often diagnosed when men visit their physicians due to
urinary problems prompted by prostate enlargement. Mayo Clinic
researchers have found that taking statins may prevent or delay benign
prostatic enlargement.
Of the 2,447 men studied, 729 (30 percent) were
statin users; researchers found that statin users were 63 percent less
likely to develop lower urinary tract problems and 57 percent less
likely to develop an enlarged prostate.
"Statins have been shown to have anti-inflammatory
effects, and previous research suggests inflammation may be associated
with benign prostate disease," says Dr. St. Sauver. "This study suggests
that men's urinary health could be improved by taking statin
medications."
Further Study Needed
The researchers note that further studies,
particularly clinical trials, are necessary to determine whether taking
statins might prevent development of this common condition.
"If you are taking a statin for a heart condition
or to lower cholesterol, these studies suggest that statins could have
other benefits," says Dr. St. Sauver. "However, it's very clear we need
more information before men are advised to start taking statins for
their urological health."
Background information:
Other Mayo Clinic researchers involved in this
cohort study include: Michael Lieber, M.D.; Paul Crispen, M.D.; Debra
Jacobson; Michaela McGree; and Naomi Gades, D.V.M. Cindy Girman, Sc.D.,
(Merck Research Laboratories) and Steven Jacobsen, M.D., Ph.D. (Kaiser
Permanente South) also co-authored these studies.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated,
not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical
specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems
and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than
3,300 physicians, scientists and researchers and 46,000 allied health
staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn.,
Jacksonville, Fla., and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. Collectively, the
three locations treat more than half a million people each year. To
obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to
www.mayoclinic.org/news.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
April 27, 2009 For male senior citizens - the
predominate consumers of statins to lower cholesterol - there is an
abundance of good news about these drugs that is being released from a
large Mayo Clinic study. The researchers find in preliminary results that statins not only
lower cholesterol but protect against prostate cancer, erectile
dysfunction and prostate enlargement.