New research suggests, men who control their cholesterol, protect more than their hearts, also lowering their risk of getting aggressive prostate cancer.

According to one of two studies published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, men with cholesterol levels below 200 considered to be in the healthy range, halved their risk of developing high-grade prostate tumours compared those with high cholesterol.

The second study also found that men with loads of HDL or good cholesterol seemed less likely to develop prostate cancer or any of its other forms, than men with extremely low HDL.

While, indefinitive and with some weaknesses, the studies corroborate other scientific findings that limiting fats in the bloodstream helps to lessen the risk of cancer, another benefit to keeping low cholesterol levels.

The study found cholesterol levels made little or no difference in the odds of getting prostate cancer, but the chance of developing aggressive tumours was 59% lower amongst men who had cholesterol levels under 200.

However, researchers were not sure how many men participating in the study were taking statin drugs like Lipitor, Zocor or Crestor. This indicates, some of the reduced cancer risk was due to these cholesterol-lowering medicines, rather than from low cholesterol by itself.

While the findings are new and intriguing, more research needs to be conducted to confirm a link between HDL and cancer risk reduction, though statins have long been known to prevent heart disease.

The most common cancer amongst American men, over 192,000 new cases of prostrate cancer are expected to occur this year, leading to an estimated 27,360 deaths.