A secondary analysis of 4-year results from the REDUCE
trial showed that men with coronary artery disease had a 35% increased risk for
prostate cancer.
“What’s good for the heart may be good for the
prostate,” Jean-Alfred Thomas II, MD, a postdoctoral fellow in the
division of urology at Duke University School of Medicine, said in a press
release. “We don’t have a good grasp on what’s causing the link,
but we are observing this association.”
In REDUCE, a multicenter, double blind,
placebo-controlled study, men (n=8,122) at elevated risk for prostate cancer
were assigned to 0.5 mg daily dutasteride (Avodart, GlaxoSmithKline). Eligible
participants had a prostate-specific antigen of 2.5 ng/mL to 10 ng/mL and a
negative biopsy within 6 months of enrollment.
There were 547 men in the study with a history of CAD.
Those men tended to be older, heavier, more likely to have diabetes and have
higher prostate-specific antigen and large prostate volumes. These men were
also more likely to have hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and to have taken
aspirin or a statin.
Multivariate analysis showed that CAD was associated
with a 35% increased risk for prostate cancer (OR=1.35; 95% CI, 1.08-1.67). CAD
was similarly associated with an elevated risk for low-grade prostate cancer
(OR=1.34; 95% CI, 1.05-1.73) and high-grade disease (OR=1.34; 95% CI,
0.95-1.88).
After adjusting for potential confounders, men with CAD
were 24% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at 2 years (OR=1.24;
95% CI, 0.96-1.59) and 73% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at
4 years (OR=1.73, 95% CI, 1.23-2.43).
Disclosure: Dr. Thomas and colleagues report no
relevant financial disclosures.