Abstract
Aim. The metabolic syndrome and inadequate life style promote the development of cancer. We performed a cross-sectional study of the data collected in a health-check program to investigate the relationship among the metabolic syndrome, life style factors, gastric cancer (MK) and colon cancer (CK).
Methods. The subjects were 12,716 medical examinees (mean age: 47.3 years; 7,789 men and 4,927 women). We followed up the examinees. Those who were diagnosed with digestive cancer within 1 year of the initial health check were defined as having digestive cancer at baseline.
Results. Out of 120 examinees, 0.9% (87 men, or 1.1%; 33 women, or 0.7%) had cancer. Out of these, 33 (27 men, 6 women) had MK, and 27 (20 men, 7 women) had CK. Out of all examinees, 1,066 men (13.6%) and 58 women (1.2%) had the metabolic syndrome (MS). The MK-positive rate among the examinees with MS (0.4%, 4 examinees) was not higher than among those without (0.3%, 29 examinees; P=0.715). The CK-positive rate among the examinees with MS (0.5%, 6 examinees) was higher than among those without (0.2%, 21 examinees; P=0.034). The MK- and CK-positive rates among the examinees with impaired fasting glycemia (IFG) (0.6%, or 10 examinees, and 0.5%, or 8 examinees, respectively) were higher than among those without (MK: 0.2%, 23 examinees, and CK: 0.2%, 19 examinees ; P=0.005 and P=0.016, respectively). Logistic regression analysis indicated that IFG was a risk factor for MK (odds ratio, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.28-6.29; P=0.01) and CK (odds ratio, 2.58; 95% CI, 1.06-6.28; P=0.037) among the four components that constitute MS. Life style factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, coffee consumption and exercise did not relate to MK or CK.
Conclusion. The metabolic syndrome is a significant risk factor for CK. IFG is a significant risk factor both for CK and MK.
