Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Oct;96(4):855-63.
Choline intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer: incidence and survival.
Richman EL, Kenfield SA, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci EL, Zeisel SH, Willett WC, Chan JM.
Source
Departments of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health,
Boston, MA, USA. richmane@urology.ucsf.edu
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Meat, milk, and eggs have been inconsistently associated with the risk of
advanced prostate cancer. These foods are sources of choline-a nutrient that may
affect prostate cancer progression through cell membrane function and one-carbon
metabolism. No study has examined dietary choline and the risk of lethal
prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE:
Our objective was to examine whether dietary choline, choline-containing
compounds, and betaine (a choline metabolite) increase the risk of lethal
prostate cancer.
DESIGN:
We prospectively examined the intake of these nutrients and the risk of lethal
prostate cancer among 47,896 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. In
a case-only survival analysis, we examined the postdiagnostic intake of these
nutrients and the risk of lethal prostate cancer among 4282 men with an initial
diagnosis of nonmetastatic disease during follow-up. Diet was assessed with a
validated questionnaire 6 times during 22 y of follow-up.
RESULTS:
In the incidence analysis, we observed 695 lethal prostate cancers during
879,627 person-years. Men in the highest quintile of choline intake had a 70%
increased risk of lethal prostate cancer (HR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.18, 2.45; P-trend
= 0.005). In the case-only survival analysis, we observed 271 lethal cases
during 33,679 person-years. Postdiagnostic choline intake was not statistically
significantly associated with the risk of lethal prostate cancer (HR for
quintile 5 compared with quintile 1: 1.69; 95% CI: 0.93, 3.09; P-trend = 0.20).
CONCLUSION:
Of the 47,896 men in our study population, choline intake was associated with an
increased risk of lethal prostate cancer.
PMID: 22952174 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID: PMC3441112