Adiposity and Muscle Strength in Men With Prostate Cancer and Cardiovascular Outcomes

It is widely accepted that androgen deprivation therapy, particularly GnRH agonists, increases adiposity and decreases muscle strength. Surprisingly, the data to quantify its effects are modest and generally do not factor in the natural history of weight gain and loss of strength in this population as well as other important patient characteristics that might influence these physical attributes. Furthermore, little is known about the impact of adiposity and muscle strength on clinical outcomes in patients with prostate cancer.

In our large, multi-national prospective cohort, we sought to address these knowledge gaps. In nearly 4000 individuals, almost half of whom were treated with ADT, we saw a 2.2% increase in waist circumference and a 27% reduction in handgrip strength. A baseline waist circumference >110cm and handgrip strength <30kg were respectively associated with a 40% and 59% higher risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Complete findings can be found in the open access article.

Our work highlights the importance of addressing these potentially modifiable cardiovascular risk factors in patients with prostate cancer, especially in those receiving ADT.

Written by: Darryl P. Leong, MBBS (Hons), MPH, M.Biostat, PhD, FRACP, FESC, Senior Scientist, Population Health Research Institute, Associate, Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Associate Chief Medical Information Officer (Research), Director, Cardio-Oncology ProgramDirector, Internal Medicine Resident Research, McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

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