Metabolic Syndrome Significantly Increases Cancer Risk

Numerous studies and guidelines clearly say that certain lifestyle choices and health conditions are associated with greater cancer risk. Similarly, researchers have known that metabolic syndrome significantly increases the risk of certain cancer types. However, what remained unclear is to what extent metabolic syndrome can increase cancer risk. The new study shows that metabolic syndrome may increase the risk of certain cancer types by four or even five times.

Metabolic syndrome is widespread, affecting the majority of adults in developed nations like the US. It is a group of conditions like obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and more. There is now increasing awareness that metabolic syndrome increases the risk of almost all non-infectious diseases.

What is already well-established is that it increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. All these conditions are now among the leading causes of mortality in the US. However, over the years, researchers have started realizing that metabolic syndrome also significantly increases the risk of diseases that were traditionally not associated with it, like dementia, kidney disease, mental health issues, and even cancer.

The world is experiencing a continuous rise in cancer cases. It is not possible to explain this rise based on some single factor. Definitely, environment, genetics, certain dietary choices, and exposure to toxins all increase cancer risks. However, it is time to realize that specific lifestyle choices also cause cancer. Countering obesity, hypertension, and insulin resistance may also help lower cancer risk.

Although it is now clear that metabolism syndrome increases cancer risk, some questions remain unanswered, like to what degree. What is the contribution of metabolic syndrome and faulty lifestyle choices to cancer? To what degree can one reduce cancer risk by countering metabolic syndrome through lifestyle changes? A Chinese study published in the journal Cancer tries to answer some of these questions

There is a Significant Association Between Cancer Risk and Metabolic Syndrome

In this new study done in China, researchers analyzed the metabolic syndrome (MetS) score trajectory of 44,115 patients diagnosed with new-onset cancer. They divided all the patients into four groups depending on the MetS score trajectory as: low-stable, moderately low, moderately high, and elevated increasing. They then compared the low-stable group with elevated increasing.

The study had many interesting findings. It found that MetS increased the overall risk of developing cancer by 27%. It found that the risk of breast cancer almost doubled, that of endometrial cancer more than tripled, the risk of kidney cancer increased quadrupled, colorectal cancer risk increased by 2.5 times, and liver cancer risk increased by more than 60%. Thus, it is evident that a higher MetS score is associated with a significant increase in cancer risk, with the risk of some cancer types increasing more than four-fold. The study also found that higher C reactive protein levels (indicating greater inflammation were a good cancer risk predictor.

Here, it is vital to understand that researchers corrected this data to exclude the impact of other factors like high salt intake, dietary issues, substance abuse, viral infections, and so on. This means that those who have these issues may be at even greater risk. For example, metabolic syndrome increases liver cancer risk by 61%. Still, its risk may be even higher in those living with hepatitis B virus infection, fatty liver disease, or other liver health issues.

The Bottom Line

This is one of the most extensive studies confirming that obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia can all contribute to higher cancer risk. It is among the few studies that quantify the risk. Moreover, the study shows that metabolic syndrome is a significant risk factor for certain types of cancers. Moreover, most of these are commonly diagnosed cancer types.

It means that by countering metabolic syndrome along with other lifestyle interventions, one can significantly lower cancer risk. 

This study also explains why cancers are rising. It also shows that, to a significant extent, cancer is a preventable ailment. It is time that people start associating cancer with lifestyle. It is vital to realize that certain lifestyle choices might be increasing cancer risk much more significantly than non-modifiable risk factors like genetics or difficult-to-change risk factors like the environment.

References

1.   Deng L, Liu T, Liu CA, Zhang Q, Song MM, Lin SQ, et al. The association of metabolic syndrome scores trajectory patterns with risk of all cancer types. Cancer [Internet]. [cited 2024 May 4];n/a(n/a). Available from: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cncr.35235