MONDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- In another sign that too much weight spells health problems, new research suggests that fat men are twice as likely to die after being diagnosed with prostate cancer than men of normal weight.

The research doesn't confirm a cause-and-effect link between obesity and a higher risk of death from prostate cancer, and it's not clear if losing weight would help patients after they're diagnosed with the disease.

Still, "if you look down the list of factors that are most predictive of a bad outcome, this [excess weight] ranks up there pretty high," said study co-author Dr. Matthew R. Smith, an oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the disease strikes one in six American men and is the most prevalent form of non-skin cancer in the United States. Risk rises with age, with more than 65 percent of all cases diagnosed in men over the age of 65.

However, prostate cancer can successfully be treated in many cases, particularly if it's caught early.

In the new study, Smith and his colleagues examined the results of men with advanced prostate cancer who were enrolled in a drug study between 1987 and 1992. The researchers looked at 788 men whose weights were recorded at the time of diagnosis to see if their body mass index -- BMI, a ratio of weight to height -- affected their risk of dying.

The researchers found that 6.5 percent of men with normal or low weight -- a BMI of less than 25 -- died from prostate cancer within five years. But the death rate for overweight men (a BMI of 25 to 30) was 13.1 percent, and it was 12.2 percent for obese men (a BMI of 30 or higher).

The higher rate of death remained constant even when the researchers adjusted their findings for other possible factors.

The study results are published in the Nov. 12 online issue of the journal Cancer.

It remains unclear why there might be a link between obesity and death rates from prostate cancer. It's possible that metabolism rates in heavy men might make the cancer more aggressive, Smith said, or obesity could render treatments less effective.

Dr. Martha K. Terris, a professor of urology at the Medical College of Georgia, who's familiar with the study findings, said hormone balance could be another factor. "Obesity changes the proportion of estrogen and testosterone in the blood, and this change may impact on the cancer behavior," she said.

Terris added that "obese individuals generally eat more high-fat diets with less fruits and vegetables that could contain key vitamins that help control cancer growth."

For now, Smith said, "the part we can't know is whether improvements in lifestyle intervention after prostate cancer diagnosis would improve outcomes."

Still, it would be wise for doctors to tell their patients about the apparent link between weight and prostate cancer death rates, Smith said. "This may be a teachable moment that prompts a discussion about general health considerations," he said.

In a related study published in Cancer, University of Michigan researchers found that families coping with prostate cancer reported improved quality of life from a structured support program integrated into the patients cancer management. The study, led by Dr. Laurel Northouse, found that patients and their spouses who participated in a five-session home counseling program reported significant improvement in such areas as symptom management, hope, uncertainty and the couples' communication.

More information

For advice on losing weight, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

FRIDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) -- As many as 25 percent of men over age 45 admitted to hospital with acute urinary retention (AUR) die within a year, a death risk comparable to that of patients with a broken hip, a new study says.

AUR, the sudden inability to pass urine, is a medical emergency. The condition is often a progression of benign prostatic hyperplasia, an enlargement of the prostate that can interfere with normal urine flow. AUR may also be linked to the presence of other disorders such as diabetes and high blood pressure, according to background information in the study, which was published Nov. 9 by BMJ Online First.

The study authors, from the University College London and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, analyzed data on more than 176,000 English men over the age of 45 who were hospitalized for treatment of a first episode of AUR between 1998 and 2005.

The researchers found that one in seven of the men with spontaneous AUR (no evidence of precipitating factors other than benign prostatic hyperplasia), and one in four with precipitated AUR, died within one year.

The risk of death increased with age and the presence of other health problems (comorbidity). About half the AUR patients over age 85 with comorbid conditions died within a year after being hospitalized.

The researchers calculated that the overall one-year death risk for men admitted to hospital with AUR was two to three times higher than for the general male population. Among AUR patients ages 45 to 54, the death risk was nearly 24 times higher.

AUR patients may benefit from urgent multidisciplinary care to identify and treat comorbid conditions early, the researchers concluded.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more about prostate enlargement.

MONDAY, July 30 (HealthDay News) -- People with type 2 diabetes who drag themselves through the day may be among the 36 percent of diabetics suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, according to new research.

Sleep apnea occurs when impaired breathing due to collapsed airways triggers multiple nighttime awakenings.

Researchers at The Whittier Institute for Diabetes in La Jolla, Calif., analyzed health data from 279 adults with type 2 diabetes. They found that one out of three diabetics also suffered from obstructive sleep apnea. Men, particularly those over the age of 62, were more than twice as likely as women to experience interrupted sleep.

Previous research has indicated a relationship between obstructive sleep apnea, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance, so the connection with type 2 diabetes is not surprising. This is the first study to analyze data from both men and women at a diabetes clinic, the researchers said.

"These findings demonstrate that obstructive sleep apnea has a high prevalence in adults with type 2 diabetes," principal investigator Dr. Daniel Einhorn said in a prepared statement. "Given that treatment of obstructive sleep apnea has the potential to both decrease blood pressure and improve glycemic [blood sugar] control, individuals with type 2 diabetes should be regularly screened for the presence of sleep apnea," he said.

The researchers published their findings in the current issue of Endocrine Practice.

According to previous research, treating people who have both obstructive sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes with "continuous positive airway pressure" therapy not only helps manage the sleep interruptions but also reduces blood sugar levels. The researchers recommend that clinicians screen patients with type 2 diabetes for obstructive sleep apnea.

According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 20 million people in the United States have diabetes, with more than one in five adults over the age of 60 suffering from the disease. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, a disease in which the body does not make or use insulin effectively.

The National Sleep Foundation estimates that more than 18 million people suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, although the majority of people have not been diagnosed with the disorder. Obstructive sleep apnea is related to a multitude of health risks, including heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, sexual dysfunction and an increased risk of car accidents.

More information

To learn more about obstructive sleep apnea, visit the National Sleep Foundation  .