Preventing Lethal Prostate Cancer with Diet, Supplements, and Rx: Heart Healthy Continues to Be Prostate Healthy and "First Do No Harm" Part III.

Abstract

To discuss the overall and latest observations of the effect of diet, lifestyle, supplements, preventive vaccinations, and some prescription heart healthy medications for prostate cancer prevention within a 3-part series of publications. The concept of maximizing heart health to prevent aggressive prostate cancer continues to be solidified with additional prospective observational and randomized controlled trial data. Heart healthy is prostate healthy, but heart unhealthy is prostate unhealthy. The primary goal for medical providers of reducing all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality correlates with maximizing prostate cancer prevention. The obesity epidemic in children and adults along with research from multiple, diverse disciplines has only strengthened the nexus between heart and prostate health. Greater dietary adherence toward a variety of healthy foods is associated with a graded reduction in the probability of CVD and aggressive cancer. Preventing prostate cancer via dietary supplements should encourage a "first do no harm" or less-is-more approach until future evidence can reverse the concerning trend that more supplementation has resulted in either no impact or an increased risk of prostate cancer. Supplements to reduce side effects of some cancer treatments appear to have more encouraging data. A discussion of quality control (QC) before utilizing any pill also requires attention. Medications or interventions that potentially improve heart health including statins, aspirin, and metformin (S.A.M.), specific beta-blocker medications, and even preventive vaccines are in general generic, low cost, "natural," and should continue to garner research interest. A watershed moment in medical education has arrived where the past perception of a diverse number of trees seemingly separated by vast distances, in reality, now appears to exist within the same forest.