A recent study published in ‘The Journal of Urology’ reported that low carbohydrate diets slow down prostate cancer in noncancer patients and improves metabolic syndrome without weight loss.

In this secondary analysis, pooled data were analyzed from 2 randomized trials testing LCD vs control on preventing insulin resistance after starting hormone therapy (CAPS1) and slowing PC growth in recurrent PC after failed primary treatment (CAPS2). Both trials included a usual care control vs LCD intervention in which patients were instructed to limit carbohydrate intake to ≤20 gm/day, and in CAPS1 only, to walk for ≥30 minutes/day for ≥5 days/week. MetS components (hypertension, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, central obesity and diabetes), 10-year CVD risk estimated using the Framingham Score with either body mass index (BMI) or lipids, and remnant cholesterol were compared between arms using mixed models adjusting for trial.

The study showed that LCD resulted in a significantly reduced risk of MetS and remnant cholesterol. It is also observed that LCD significantly lower estimated CVD risk using BMI.