Anything that accentuates a person’s chances of developing prostate cancer can be labeled as a risk factor for the disease. Some risk factors like age and family history cannot be controlled, but lifestyle-related risk factors can be managed by being cautious. Here, we’ll discuss the top risk factors for prostate cancer:

• Genes or family history
  In many cases, it has been found that prostate cancer is caused by genetic mutations, which means people with a family history of prostate cancer are at a high risk of developing the condition. There’s a risk that they might have inherited a faulty gene that can increases their susceptibility to the disease. According to a study by the American Cancer Society, about 5 to 10% of the cases of this cancer are a result of inherited genetic mutations.
• Ethnicity and race
  Another study by the American Cancer Society found that Latino and Asian-American men in the country have minimal chances of developing prostate cancer. On the other hand, men of African-American ethnicity are more susceptible to developing this form of cancer.
• Dietary habits
  One of the top risk factors for prostate cancer is following a diet that is rich in dairy products or red meat.
• Age
  Age is certainly one of the top risk factors for prostate cancer, and it is rarely seen in younger men. According to a study by the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the chances of men below the age of 40 developing prostate cancer is just 0.010%. On the other hand, men aged between 50 to 59 have an approximately 2.63% chance of developing this type of cancer. For men between 60 to 69 years of age, the risk is even higher, but prostate cancer is most common in men over the age of 65.
• Geographical location
  Where a person lives is also an important risk factor. It has been noted that the Asians who live in America are comparatively less vulnerable to developing the disease, and the risk of prostate cancer among Asian men residing in Asia is even lower. It has been proved that this cancer is most common in people from Australia, North-western Europe, the Caribbean, and North America. Besides, the mortality rate due to this type of cancer is higher among men who reside in the 40° northern latitude in the country as opposed to the men who live in the southern latitudes.
• Vitamin D
  This is another top risk factor for prostate cancer, and it is believed that men who have low exposure to sunlight and vitamin D deficiency have a higher risk of developing the disease.

Apart from these common risk factors, The following are the top risk factors for aggressive prostate cancer that develops gradually:

• Smoking
• Being obese
• Following a high-calcium diet
• Leading a sedentary lifestyle