In a study from Lund University, scientists tracked nearly 800,000 people from Sweden, Norway, and Austria to see if their BMI and metabolic health—that is, their blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and blood fats—affect the risk of suffering from obesity-related cancers.
The team that those who are metabolically unhealthy are at a higher risk of certain forms of cancer, regardless of their body weight.
It is already known that obesity is linked to more than ten different cancers.
In the current study, the team used data from health surveys and national registries from nearly 800,000 individuals from the years 1972-2014.
By weighing together data on blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fats in the form of triglycerides, they produced a metabolic score that determined whether the people were considered metabolically healthy or unhealthy.
Based on BMI (Body Mass Index), the participants were also divided into the categories of normal weight, overweight or obese.
During the follow-up period of up to 40 years, 23,630 individuals were diagnosed with obesity-related cancer.
The team found that a higher BMI increased the risk of cancer but being metabolically unhealthy was also associated with an increased risk.
The highest risk was found among individuals with metabolically unhealthy obesity, which was associated with the highest risk for cancer of the liver, and kidney, and among women also for endometrial cancer.
Another important finding was that metabolic unhealthy in itself represented an increased risk of obesity-related cancer—regardless of whether one was of normal weight, overweight or obese.
The study cannot prove causation, but the researchers did see that obesity and metabolic disease interacted in a way that increased the risk of certain cancers more than expected when the two factors were combined.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about new cancer vaccines that eliminate tumors and prevent cancer recurrence, and vitamin D supplements could strongly reduce cancer death.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about drug that could give immune system a double boost against cancer, and results showing scientists find herbal supplement to treat lung cancer.
The study was conducted by Ming Sun et al and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
