Wednesday Dec 31, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- Type 2 diabetes mellitus may have an unexpected beneficial "side effect".  A new cohort study in International Journal of Cancer found male type 2 diabetics were actually at a lower risk for prostate cancer.  

The study also found men with diabetes mellitus had lower serum male sex hormones than men without diabetes.  It has been known that high male sex hormone levels promote the development of prostate cancer.  

For the study, Konstantinos K. Tsilidis and colleagues followed 139,131 men with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus and found 4,531 men diagnosed with prostate cancer.   Diabetes mellitus patients were found 26% less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, compared with those who did not live with type 2 diabetes.  

In a group of 626 men who had hormones measured, circulating concentrations of androstenedione, total testosterone and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-three were found lower in men with diabetes mellitus, compared to men without diabetes.   

The findings explain why men with type 2 diabetes mellitus often have to face an increased risk for sexual dysfunctions.  

The subjects used in the study were enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). (David Liu)

Konstantinos K. Tsilidis et al.  2015, Diabetes mellitus and risk of prostate cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, International Journal of Cancer, Volume 136, Issue 2, pages 372–381, 15 January 2015

Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus; prostate cancer; cohort study; androgens; insulin-like growth factor proteins