Men with larger waistlines could be at higher risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer, a study has suggested.

Research on 140,000 men from eight European countries found that a 4in (10cm) larger waist circumference could increase the chances of getting the cancer by 13%. Men were most at risk when their waist was bigger than 37in (94cm), the University of Oxford study found.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. The study, which was presented at the European Obesity Summit in Gothenburg, Sweden, looked at the association between body measurements in men in their 50s and prostate cancer risk over 14 years.

In that time, there were about 7,000 cases of prostate cancer, of which 934 were fatal.

The researchers found that men with a higher body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference had an increased risk of high grade prostate cancer, an aggressive form of the disease.

Scientists also observed a higher risk of dying from prostate cancer with increased BMI and increased waist circumference.