Health

Prostate Cancer Linked To Bad Weather - Dr Sophie St-Hilaire ISU

by Paul Conneally | April 20, 2010 at 10:45 pm

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Bad Weather Link To Prostate Cancer

A team of scientists led by Dr Sophie St-Hilaire of Idaho State University claim that the incidence of prostate cancer in men is higher in areas of bad weather.

Dr, St-Hilaire said:

""We found that colder weather, and low rainfall, were strongly correlated with prostate cancer."

The old adage that "it's grim up North" may be true for men as the Idaho team of scientists find that men living in colder, northern areas where there are relatively low amounts of sun have higher rates of prostate cancer than men from more southerly climes.

Vitamin D Deficiency and Poisonous Rain

Low levels of exposure to sunlight can result in Vitamin D deficiency which has been shown to increase the risk of prostate cancer and the colder atmosphere in the North leads to more chemical pollutants falling in rain. Some of these chemicals include cancer triggering industrial pollutants.

Around 1 in 6 men will develop cancer in their lifetime. Prostate cancer is a significant killer of men with just under a third of those diagnosed going on to die from the disease.

Dr Sophie St-Hilaire said: "The trends are consistent with what we would expect, given the effects of climate on the deposition, absorption, and degradation of persistent organic pollutants, including pesticides.

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YankeeJim

at 04:39 on April 21st, 2010

The Vitimin D deficiency notion seems possible, but I think that it is just in the genes.

Paul Conneally

at 04:44 on April 21st, 2010

The report appears in a journal of Geography - and gene pools vary too with geography although this is breaking down a little as folks move and settle around the world - so could be Vitamin D - could be genes - could be the polutants not getting degraded as much in cold areas before falling in rain... anyway all men of 50 or more should be prostate aware and take steps to get screened when appropriate and available.

Jonathan Grimes (not verified)

at 07:03 on April 21st, 2010

This is a great website to read more about this topic:www.vitamin-d-deficiency.co.uk/I think it explains the whole link to good health, vitamin D and daily doses of sunshine!