Low levels of vitamin D in men may predict the risk of aggressive prostate cancer according to findings from a new study published in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
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The study, conducted by researchers at Northwestern University, tested 273 African-American men and 275 European-American men between the ages of 40 and 79. Their findings showed that African-American men with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 4.89 times more likely to be at risk for developing an aggressive form of prostate cancer. European-American men in the same group were 3.66 times more likely to be at risk.
Additionally, vitamin D deficient African-American men were 4.22 times more likely to have a stage T2b tumor – when cancer can be felt or seen on a scan, but is confined to the prostate. In comparison, European-American men with the lowest measured levels of vitamin D were 2.42 times more likely to have this type of tumor.
Vitamin D absorption, specifically from sun exposure, can be affected by skin color and researchers offer this as one explanation for why African-American men in the study showed increased risk, despite European-American men in the study having higher levels of vitamin D in their blood.