Metabolic Syndrome Score Trajectories Associated With Risk for Cancer

MONDAY, March 11, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Metabolic syndrome (MetS) score trajectories are associated with a subsequent risk for cancer, according to a study published online March 11 in Cancer.

Li Deng, Ph.D., from Beijing Shijitan Hospital, and colleagues examined the relationship between MetS score trajectory patterns and new-onset cancer in a large prospective cohort study involving 44,115 participants.

The researchers identified four MetS score trajectory patterns: low-stable, moderate-low, moderate-high, and elevated-increasing (4,657, 18,018, 18,288, and 3,152 individuals, respectively). The elevated-increasing trajectory pattern was associated with an increased risk for overall, breast, endometrial, kidney, colorectal, and liver cancers compared with a low-stable trajectory pattern (hazard ratios, 1.27, 2.11, 3.33, 4.52, 2.54, and 1.61, respectively). The elevated-increasing trajectory pattern was significantly associated with subsequent breast, endometrial, colorectal, and liver cancers among those with chronic inflammation (C-reactive protein levels ≥3 mg/L).

“This research suggests that proactive and continuous management of metabolic syndrome may serve as an essential strategy in preventing cancer,” senior author Han-Ping Shi, M.D., Ph.D., of Capital Medical University in Beijing, said in a statement. “Our study can guide future research into the biological mechanisms linking metabolic syndrome to cancer, potentially resulting in targeted treatments or preventive strategies. Formal evaluation of these interventions will be needed to determine if they are able to modulate cancer risk.”

Abstract/Full Text