Sound Sleepers cut their prostate risk by three quarters
Daily Telegraph Monday January 20 2014
By Nick Collins
Men who sleep soundly are less likely to develop prostate cancer, a study suggests. Higher levels of melatonin, a hormone produced at night which helps regulate the body’s internal clock, were linked to a 75per cent lower risk of developing an advanced form of the disease.
Men who have trouble falling or staying asleep typically have lower levels of the hormone, suggesting that chronic disrupted sleep could raise the risk of the condition, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, US, have found. They questioned 928 men about their sleep patterns over seven years. The results were presented at an American Association for Cancer Research conference.
“Health problems associated with low melatonin, disrupted sleep, and/or disruption of the circadian rhythm are broad, including a potential risk factor for cancer.” Said researcher Sarah Markt, who led the study.
- Exercise may improve the prognosis of prostate cancer patients by beneficially affecting blood vessels in their tumours, according to scientists at the University of California.