Race, subjective social status and metabolic syndrome in women with breast cancer.

Abstract

560 Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with worse breast cancer prognosis. Black women have higher rates of advanced breast cancer, as well as MS, diabetes and obesity. As socioeconomic status is associated with MS, we asked whether the subjective perception of social status (SSS), might influence this association in black and white women with a new breast cancer (BC) diagnosis. Methods: We surveyed, obtained serum and conducted anthropometric measures of 1206 women with a new BC diagnosis. Triglycerides, systolic blood pressure (SBP), waist circumference (cm), HDL and glucose were used to calculate a severity index of MS (MS-Zscore: mean=0; sd=1). Women reported their SSS on the 10 rung McArthur US social status ladder, their household income, education attained, diet quality (5 point scale), and exercise measured with metabolic equivalents (METS). Data were analyzed with multivariable generalized linear models. Missing data were imputed with multiple imputation. Results: Average age was 58 yrs of 295 black and 911 white women. BC stage > II was in 11.6% of black and 2.4% of white women. On average black women had higher BMI (31.5 vs 26.6; p<0.001), waist circumference (103 vs 93; p<0.001) glucose (96 vs 92; p<0.001) and SBP (132 vs 126; p<0.001); lower triglycerides (92 vs 104; p<0.001) and HDL (59 vs 68; p<0.001). Black women were more likely than white women to live in poverty (23.7% vs 4.6%; p<.001); report poor diet (32.4% vs 10.4%; p<.001) and less exercise (29.7% v 23.6% in the 25th %ile), and less likely to graduate college (30.3% vs 70.4%). MSZ-score was positively associated with age (.02 per year; p<.001) and black race (0.35; <.001) and negatively with better diet (-.20 per point in 4 point scale); p<.001), exercise (-.11 per quartile increase in METS; p<.001) and SSS (-.04 per ladder rung; p=.004). SSS was lower in black women within the same levels of income and education). Conclusions: Race, age, diet, exercise and subjective social status all impact metabolic syndrome, a risk factor for breast cancer. Of concern, among breast cancer patients, black women are more likely to rate their SSS below white women, within each education or income level. Subjective social status among women with a new breast cancer diagnosis is associated with MS and may be important to address as a risk factor among breast cancer patients.[Table: see text]