- Those with high levels of melatonin less likely to develop deadly disease
- Hormone helps regulate our sleep cycle and affects body’s 24-hour clock
- Study led by scientists at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston
By
Daily Mail Reporter
19:46 EST, 19 January 2014
|
10:00 EST, 20 January 2014
Findings: Those with high levels of melatonin were 75 per cent less likely to develop the deadly disease (library image)
Sleeping well may help to protect men from prostate cancer, scientists claim.
Those who had high levels of the sleep hormone melatonin were 75 per cent less likely to develop an advanced form of the deadly disease, a study found.
Our bodies produce melatonin when it is dark. It helps to regulate our sleep cycle and affects many functions tied to the body’s 24-hour clock, or circadian rhythm.
People with too little melatonin tend to have trouble getting to sleep and wake up in the night.
Scientists tested the melatonin levels of 928 Icelandic men, then monitored them over seven years. In that time, 111 were diagnosed with prostate cancer, including 24 who had advanced cancer.
Advanced prostate cancer that has started to spread is often aggressive and is likely to be fatal.
The researchers found men whose melatonin levels were higher than the middle of the range were 75 per cent less likely to develop advanced prostate cancer than those with levels below the middle mark.
Study leader Sarah Markt, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, US, said: ‘Sleep loss and other factors can influence the amount of melatonin secretion or block it altogether.
‘Health problems associated with low melatonin, disrupted sleep, and disruption of the circadian rhythm are broad, including a potential risk factor for cancer.’
More research should be done into how melatonin affects cancer risk, she said, adding: ‘Our results require replication, but support the public health implication of the importance of maintaining a stable light-dark and sleep-wake cycle.’
Dr Matthew Hobbs, of Prostate Cancer UK, said: ‘Over 40,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in the UK.
‘Improving our ability to distinguish which of those men are at risk of aggressive cancer that is likely to spread to other parts of the body from those with low-risk cancer is of crucial importance.
Difficulty: Those who struggle to sleep and have low levels of melatonin run a higher risk of getting cancer (library image)
‘However, this study is a long way away from developing a test based on melatonin levels.’
A separate study of 572 prostate cancer patients found those who walked at a faster pace before being diagnosed had a better prognosis.
They had larger and more even blood vessels in their tumours, which the US researchers said can make cancer easier to treat.
It is known that physically active men with prostate cancer have a lower risk of recurrence and death, but until now scientists have not been able to explain why this should be the case.
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Liberty,
London,
5 minutes ago
Been taking melatonin supplement for years. This has been known about for years but the medical profession hate supplements,
Approveds,
London,
1 hour ago
I take a melatonin tablet every night.
Jetty,
London, United Kingdom,
4 hours ago
“A separate study of 572 prostate cancer patients found those who walked at a faster pace before being diagnosed had a better prognosis.â€â€¦.that would be because they were fitter perhaps?
Jetty,
London, United Kingdom,
4 hours ago
mh. The percentage out of the study group developing cancer was 12% but the UK rate is 40k a year or 0.16% of all men over the age of 15 years so you would draw the conclusion that they used an at-risk group. Probably older men. I think that melatonin levels being high or low may be a symptom of older men as it’s well known that older people can often sleep less, so to use this and apply it to all men of all ages is probably not right. Plus, when you are ‘not right’ your body knows this and you are probably likely to be more agitated and restless.
niracha,
dover,
4 hours ago
My wife’s jealous that us men have something that she can never have
wisetool,
eastbourne, United Kingdom,
6 hours ago
Men sleep better after a cuddle plus with a nice lady.
You are wrong,
london, United Kingdom,
7 hours ago
Article about men’s health. Women hijack it because men aren’t allowed anything. #WomanLogic
Approveds,
London,
1 hour ago
Styx,
Birmingham,
7 hours ago
Although I’m an isolated case I had prostate cancer yes I also suffer from insomnia have done so all my life. Perhaps men that do suffering the inability to sleep should get their PSA ( prostate specific antigen), levels tested in case it shows raised levels may indicate prostate cancer. The earlier you detect this nasty cancer the better, as I found out!
You are wrong,
london, United Kingdom,
5 hours ago
Approveds,
London,
1 hour ago
emjimevans,
Dowlais, United Kingdom,
8 hours ago
What about people like me?
Randall Cheuvront,
Walnut Grove, United States,
9 hours ago
what about those of us that take melatonin supplements? i take them for r.l.s. otherwise i can’t sleep well enough.
Luckyjoy,
Reading, United Kingdom,
8 hours ago
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