title: Macronutrients, fatty acids, cholesterol and prostate cancer risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of selected macronutrients, fatty acids and cholesterol in the etiology of prostate cancer was analyzed using data from a case-control study carried out in five Italian areas between 1991 and 2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cases were 1294 men with incident, histologically confirmed prostate cancer, and admitted to the major teaching and general hospitals of study areas. Controls were 1451 men admitted for acute, non-neoplastic conditions to the same hospital network. Information on dietary habits was elicited using a validated food frequency questionnaire including 78 food groups and recipes. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for increasing levels of nutrient intake.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A direct association with prostate cancer was found for starch intake (OR = 1.4 in the highest versus the lowest quintile of intake; 95% CI: 1.1-1.8), whereas an inverse association emerged for polyunsaturated fatty acids (OR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.6-1.0). Among polyunsaturated fatty acids, linolenic acid (OR = 0.7; 95% CI: 0.6-0.9) and linoleic acid (OR = 0.8; 95% CI: 0.6-1.0) were inversely related to prostate cancer. When the six major macronutrients were included in the same model, the adverse effect of high intake of starch and monounsaturated fatty acids was statistically significant together with the protective effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Results were consistent in separate strata of age, body mass index and family history of prostate cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Starch and monounsaturated fatty acids were directly associated with prostate cancer risk and polyunsaturated fatty acids were inversely associated.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Epidemiologia e Biostatistica, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico, Aviano (PN), Italy. epidemiology@cro.it
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bidoli
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Talamini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bosetti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maruzzi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montella
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D002784:Cholesterol