Metabolic syndrome and risk of cancer mortality in men

Abstract

Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been linked with an increased risk of developing cancer; however, the association between MetS and cancer mortality remains less clear. Little research has focused on pre-cancer risk factors that may affect the outcome of treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between MetS and all-cancer mortality in men. Methods The participants included 33,230 men aged 20–88 years who were enrolled in the Aerobics Centre Longitudinal Study and who were free of known cancer at the baseline. Results At baseline 28% of all the participants had MetS. During an average of 14 years follow-up, there were a total of 685 deaths due to cancer. MetS at baseline was associated with a 56% greater age-adjusted risk in cancer mortality. Conclusion These data show that MetS is associated with an increased risk of all-cause cancer mortality in men. Based on these findings, it is evident that successful interventions should be identified to attenuate the negative effects of MetS.