J Prev Med Public Health.  2016 May;49(3):143-152. 10.3961/jpmph.16.021.

Metabolic Risk Profile and Cancer in Korean Men and Women

• Ko S
• Yoon SJ
• Kim D
• Kim AR
• Kim EJ
• Seo HY

• KMID: 2308880
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.16.021

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Associations between metabolic syndrome and several types of cancer have recently been documented.
METHODS
We analyzed the sample cohort data from the Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2002, with a follow-up period extending to 2013. The cohort data included 99 565 individuals who participated in the health examination program and whose data were therefore present in the cohort database. The metabolic risk profile of each participant was assessed based on obesity, high serum glucose and total cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure. The occurrence of cancer was identified using Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age group, smoking status, alcohol intake, and regular exercise.
RESULTS
A total of 5937 cases of cancer occurred during a mean follow-up period of 10.4 years. In men with a high-risk metabolic profile, the risk of colon cancer was elevated (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.71). In women, a high-risk metabolic profile was associated with a significantly increased risk of gallbladder and biliary tract cancer (HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.24 to 3.42). Non-significantly increased risks were observed in men for pharynx, larynx, rectum, and kidney cancer, and in women for colon, liver, breast, and ovarian cancer.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study support the previously suggested association between metabolic syndrome and the risk of several cancers. A high-risk metabolic profile may be an important risk factor for colon cancer in Korean men and gallbladder and biliary tract cancer in Korean women.

Keyword

Metabolic syndrome; Risk factors; Neoplasms; Cohort studies

MeSH Terms

Biliary Tract Neoplasms
Blood Glucose
Breast
Cardiovascular Diseases
Cholesterol
Cohort Studies
Colon
Colonic Neoplasms
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Gallbladder
Humans
Hypertension
Kidney Neoplasms
Larynx
Liver
Male
Metabolome
National Health Programs
Obesity
Ovarian Neoplasms
Pharynx
Proportional Hazards Models
Rectum
Risk Factors
Smoke
Smoking
Cholesterol
Smoke