In a nutshell
The authors aimed to determine the link between hormone therapy and metabolic syndrome in prostate cancer patients.
Some background
Hormone therapy is a common treatment used in prostate cancer management. It blocks the male sex hormones active in prostate cancer, such as testosterone. In some patients hormone therapy can cause a number of conditions such as bone damage, heart disease and sexual dysfunction. It is also associated with high blood pressure, weight gain and diabetes.
Metabolic syndrome refers to a group of risk factors, such as high blood glucose (sugar), high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. Patients with more than one of these risk factors are at a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Methods & findings
The aim of this study was to determine the link between hormone therapy and metabolic syndrome in prostate cancer patients.
9 articles were used in this study. Patients on hormone therapy had a 75% increase in the risk of metabolic syndrome compared to patients who did not receive hormone therapy. This included increased blood pressure, bone damage, high cholesterol, weight gain and diabetes.
Patients who received hormone therapy had a 36% increased risk of experiencing diabetes compared to patients who did not receive hormone therapy.
The bottom line
The authors concluded that hormone therapy increased the risk of developing metabolic syndrome in prostate cancer patients.
What’s next?
If you have questions or concerns about side effects of hormone therapy, please consult your doctor.
Published By :
PLOS ONE
Date :
Mar 20, 2015
