POCATELLO, Idaho, April 21 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers have linked cold, dry weather to increased incidence of prostate cancer.
Researchers at Idaho State University, Pocatello, led by Sophie St-Hilaire, say their county-level examination of prostate cancer incidence and weather patterns across the United States indicates colder weather and low rainfall strongly correlate with prostate cancer.
"Although we can't say exactly why this correlation exists," St-Hilaire says in a statement, "the trends are consistent with what we would expect given the effects of climate on the deposition, absorption and degradation of persistent organic pollutants including pesticides."
St-Hilaire notes cold weather slows the degradation of these pollutants -- endocrine disruptors already associated with prostate cancer.
The study, published in the International Journal of Health Geographics, suggests weather as an additional hypothesis for the greater incidence of prostate cancer in northern latitudes that is being linked to low levels of Vitamin D.
"Our study suggests that in addition to vitamin D deficiency associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation, other meteorological conditions may also significantly affect the incidence of prostate cancer," St-Hilaire says.
