Diabetes Mellitus and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
November 2024
in “
Cancers
”
Studysummary This meta-analysis involving over 3.7 million patients found that diabetes mellitus is associated with a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer, although significant heterogeneity exists among studies; however, a family history of prostate cancer was linked to a higher risk.
Our plain-language summary. Not medical advice or a treatment recommendation. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing treatment. Full disclaimer
This systematic review and meta-analysis, which included 43 studies with 3,746,769 patients, suggests that diabetes mellitus is associated with a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer, with case-control studies showing a pooled odds ratio of 0.68 and cohort studies showing a pooled relative risk of 0.71. However, significant heterogeneity was noted, and subgroup analysis indicated that patients with a family history of prostate cancer had a higher risk. The study also found that the negative correlation between diabetes and prostate cancer was not observed in Asian populations. The analysis highlights the need for further research to explore the molecular mechanisms and differentiate between types of diabetes, while acknowledging limitations such as not considering the impact of diet and physical activity.
