By: Urology Care Foundation | Posted on: 13 Jan 2016
In 2016, Healthy Weight Week will take place from January 17 - 23. It's a time of year to learn and spread education about having a healthy weight and life.
Despite a busy life, you should stay active and eat right for better health. Obesity is when you are 30% or more above the normal weight for your height. You should talk to your doctor to find out what a healthy weight is for you.
When you work to have a healthy weight, it also helps your urological health. A healthy weight should be on the mind of all Americans. Did you know obesity is a risk factor for prostate cancer? It can make the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer harder.
The PSA test is used to find prostate cancer. It measures the level of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in the blood. A higher level of PSA may point to prostate cancer. However, hormone problems in obese males could make the PSA level reading lower than it should be. As a result, many obese men with prostate cancer have it found at a later stage than healthy-weight men. This can lead to worse outcomes.
If an obese man has a biopsy after the PSA test, his chances of getting an infection from the biopsy are higher. After treatment for prostate cancer, obese men are more likely to get health issues such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence.
Losing weight can slow the progress of other urologic conditions, such as kidney cancer. Losing weight may help prevent the cancer from coming back if you are a cancer survivor. Weight loss can also help someone who has a history of stone disease and help prevent kidney stones.
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