(RxWiki News) Physical activity may play a vital role in longevity in men with prostate cancer, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health and the University of California, San Francisco.
In the first study to evaluate physical activity after diagnosis of prostate cancer in men along with cancer-specific mortality and overall mortality, researchers found that men who exercised more vigorously had a lower risk of death from the disease.
Stacey Kenfield, lead author of the study and a Harvard School of Public Health researcher, said the study's results suggest men can reduce their risk of the disease's progression by adding physical activity to their daily routine.
The study followed 2,705 men for 18 years who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Participants reported the average amount of time per week they spent doing physical activity. Those who walked 90 or more minutes per week at a normal to very brisk pace had a 46 percent lower risk of overall mortality compared to those who walked less than that at a low pace. Overall, men who exercised vigorously had a 61 percent lower risk of prostate cancer-specific death compared to men who worked out less than one hour a week.
More than 2 million men in America have survived prostate cancer, the most frequently diagnosed cancer among men.
