Modification of incident cancer risk with changes in metabolic syndrome status: A prospective cohort study in Taiwan

Yun-Ju Lai; Yung-Feng Yen; Li-Jung Chen; Li-Fei Hsu; Matthew N Ahmadi; Elif Inan-Eroglu; Raaj Kishore Biswas; Po-Wen Ku; Emmanuel Stamatakis

doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.11.008

Modification of incident cancer risk with changes in metabolic syndrome status: A prospective cohort study in Taiwan

Ann Epidemiol. 2024 Mar:91:65-73. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.11.008. Epub 2023 Nov 25.

Authors

Yun-Ju Lai¹, Yung-Feng Yen², Li-Jung Chen³, Li-Fei Hsu⁴, Matthew N Ahmadi⁵, Elif Inan-Eroglu⁶, Raaj Kishore Biswas⁵, Po-Wen Ku⁷, Emmanuel Stamatakis⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Puli Branch of Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Nantou, Taiwan; Department of Exercise Health Science, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Health Care Management, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan.
² Department of Health Care Management, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei, Taiwan; Section of Infectious Diseases, Taipei City Hospital, Yangming Branch, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Public Health, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Education and Research, Taipei City Hospital, Taiwan. Electronic address: dam37@tpech.gov.tw.
³ Department of Exercise Health Science, National Taiwan University of Sport, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁴ College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁵ Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia.
⁶ Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Department of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition, Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Germany.
⁷ Graduate Institute of Sports and Health Management, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan; Department of Kinesiology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.

PMID: 38008235
DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2023.11.008

Abstract

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the effect of altered metabolic syndrome (MetS) status on cancer risk.

Methods: From 2002 through 2008 of the Taiwan MJ cohort, there were 111,616 adults who had repeated MetS measurements performed 3.3 years apart and were followed up for cancer incidence over 11.8 years. Cancer was confirmed based on histopathological reports.

Results: Participants were categorized as MetS-free (n = 80,409; no MetS at the first or last health screening), MetS-developed (n = 9833; MetS absence at the first screening and presence at the last screening), MetS-recovered (n = 8958; MetS presence at the first screening and absence at the last screening), and MetS-persisted (n = 12,416; MetS presence at the first and last screenings). We used the Fine-Gray sub-distribution method, with death as competing risk, to determine the association between MetS changes and incident cancer risk. During 1320,796 person-years of follow-up, 5862 individuals developed cancer. The incidence rate of cancer per 1000 person-years was 3.89 in the MetS-free, 5.26 in MetS-developed, 4.61 in MetS-recovered, and 7.33 in MetS-persisted groups (P < .001). Compared with the MetS-free group, MetS-persisted individuals had a higher risk of incident cancer.

Conclusions: Persistent MetS was found to be associated with a high risk of incident cancer.

Keywords: Cancer; Cohort study; Metabolic syndrome; Risk factor.

MeSH terms

Adult
Humans
Incidence
Metabolic Syndrome* / complications
Metabolic Syndrome* / epidemiology
Neoplasms* / epidemiology
Prospective Studies
Risk Factors
Taiwan / epidemiology