The shock of being diagnosed with prostate cancer greatly increases the likelihood of a fatal heart attack, researchers have warned.
Men are up to 11 times more likely to die from cardiac problems in the week after being told they have the disease, with younger men and those with no history of heart disease at particular risk.
The threat stays high for the first year after diagnosis and the likelihood of suicide is also raised, a Swedish study involving more than four million men found.
Prostate cancer kills 10,000 British men every year and researchers say it is vital doctors are aware of the dangerous effects of the stress of diagnosis.
They said: 'Careful monitoring of the psychological health of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients is needed.
'It is not unreasonable to believe that similar effects could be observed among women with breast cancer.'
The researchers analysed the medical records of 4.3million men, including 170,000 diagnosed with prostate cancer between 1961 and 2004, the journal PLoS Medicine reports.
In Britain, Dr Sarah Cant, of the Prostate Cancer Charity, urged caution over the findings.
She said: 'The study fails to take into account several well established risk factors for cardiovascular and suicide, such as age, high blood pressure or mental illness.
'It is important to remember that even if further research did prove a strong association between a diagnosis of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease or suicide, this does not mean that being diagnosed with prostate cancer causes cardiovascular disease or men to commit suicide.
'There is much research still to be done do understand why possible link exists between these two events.'
But she added: 'This research does underline the need for all men diagnosed with prostate cancer to be given information about, and access to, the support services they need to help them cope with impact that the diagnosis and treatment of the disease can have.'
P.S. protect your HEART by eating Vitamin C and Vitamin D rich foods and fruits.
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