Health Examinees-Gem Study Research Articles

Adherence to the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research and Korean Cancer Prevention Guidelines and cancer risk: a prospective cohort study from the Health Examinees-Gem study.

The purpose of this study was to explore the association between adherence to 2 cancer prevention recommendations and cancer risk. In total, 104,386 individuals aged 40-69 years old who were recruited between 2004 and 2013 in the Health Examinees-Gem study were included. Adherence scores were constructed based on 8 items from the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) cancer prevention recommendations, including body weight, physical activity, diet, alcohol consumption and breastfeeding, and on 6 items from the Korean cancer prevention guidelines (smoking status, eating vegetables and fruits, salty foods, alcohol intake, physical activity, and body weight). A Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the associations between adherence scores and the risk of total and 5 major cancers. The multivariable hazard ratio (HR) for total cancer with the high adherence score versus the lowest score (4.25-7.00 vs. 0.00-3.25) for the WCRF/AICR guidelines was 0.91 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.82 to 1.00) in men. A reduced breast cancer risk was observed among women with the highest score. Men within the highest category of the Korean cancer prevention guideline score (3.25-6.00) had an HR of 0.80 (95% CI, 0.73 to 0.88) for developing total cancer compared to men within the lowest score (0.00-2.50). The higher adherence group among men showed lower risks of developing stomach, colorectal, and lung cancers. Adhering to guidelines for cancer prevention can help to reduce the risk of developing cancer in Korean men. The association might differ by cancer type and gender.

Abstract 6460: Smoking initiation at young age increases risk of gastric cancer among Korean men

Abstract Objective: Early initiation of smoking is associated with adverse health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the association of various smoking-related factors with the risk of gastric cancer in a population with a high incidence rate of gastric cancer. Method: From 2004 to 2013, Korean adults 40-69 years of age were enrolled in the large-scale prospective cohort, the Health Examinees-Gem study. Incident gastric cancer cases were identified until December 31, 2017, through linkage to the Korea Central Cancer Registry. Participants’ information regarding socio-demographics, smoking-related factors, and other lifestyle factors was obtained via self-reported questionnaires. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for gastric cancer risk associated with smoking-related factors such as smoking duration, amount, pack-years, and age of smoking initiation. Results: Among 44,207 men included in the final analysis, 565 gastric cancer cases were identified during a mean (±SD) follow-up period of 8.6 (±2.0) years. Compared to non-smokers, current smokers who smoked for more than 35 years (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.06-1.96) or with ≥30 pack-years of smoking (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.05-1.87) were positively associated with gastric cancer. These associations were shown to be significant with increasing smoking years (p trend 0.019) and pack-years (0.016) as well. Compared to non-smokers, current smokers who initiated smoking at a younger age, before or at 20 years, were at a higher risk of gastric cancer (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.10-1.93). No significant associations were observed among former smokers. When stratified by smoking duration, increased risk of gastric cancer was observed among those who smoked for more than 25 years in the younger smoking initiation age group (≤20 years; HR 1.50, 95% CI 1.15-1.94). In terms of smoking intensity, those who smoked less than 20 cigarettes or 1 pack a day showed an increased risk of gastric cancer in the younger smoking initiation age group that began smoking before or at 20 years of age (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.30-2.44). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that earlier initiation of smoking is associated with a greater risk of gastric cancer. Among those who began smoking early, longer duration is an important factor, but increased gastric cancer risk was also observed among those who smoked moderate amount on a daily basis. Thus, measures to manage and control onset age of cigarette smoking among teenagers may be considered when taking actions against the health burden of gastric cancer. Citation Format: Hwi-Won Lee, Woo-Kyoung Shin, Dan Huang, Katherine De la Torre, Jae Jeong Yang, Minkyo Song, Aesun Shin, Kyoung-Mu Lee, Hyuk-Joon Lee, Jong-koo Lee, Daehee Kang. Smoking initiation at young age increases risk of gastric cancer among Korean men. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 6460.

Association between metabolic syndrome and gastric cancer risk: results from the Health Examinees Study.

Previous studies suggested that metabolic syndrome (MetS) might create a pro-cancer environment and increase cancer incidence. However, evidence on the risk of gastric cancer (GC) was limited. This study aimed to evaluate the association between MetS and its components and GC in the Korean population. Included were 108,397 individuals who participated in the large-scale prospective cohort study, the Health Examinees-Gem study during 2004-2017. The multivariable Cox proportional was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) on the association between MetS and its components with GC risk. Age was used as the time scale in the analyses. The stratified analysis was performed to determine the joint effect of lifestyle factors and MetS on GC risk in different groups. During the mean follow-up of 9.1years, 759 cases of newly diagnosed cancer (408 men and 351 women) were identified. Overall, participants with MetS had a 26% increased risk of GC than those without MetS (HR 1.26; 95% CI 1.07-1.47); the risk increased with the number of MetS components (p for trend 0.01). Hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterol, and hyperglycemia were independently associated with the risk of GC. The potential joint effect of MetS and current smokers (p for interaction 0.02) and obesity (BMI ≥ 25.0) (p for interaction 0.03) in GC. In this prospective cohort study, we found that MetS were associated with an increased risk of GC in the Korean population. Our findings suggest that MetS may be a potentially modifiable risk factor for GC risk.

Associations Between Modifiable Risk Factors and Changes in Glycemic Status Among Individuals With Prediabetes.

To examine the associations between modifiable risk factors and glycemic status changes in individuals with prediabetes. A total of 10,358 individuals with prediabetes defined by their fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels from the Health Examinees-Gem study were included in the present study. Modifiable factors, including BMI, abdominal obesity, smoking status, physical activity, alcohol consumption, diet quality, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, were examined to determine their associations with changes in glycemic status during follow-up. In addition, modifiable-factor scores were calculated, and their association with changes in glycemic status was also analyzed. The median follow-up time for this study was 4 years (range, 1-7 years). BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.71 [95% CI 0.63-0.79]), abdominal obesity (OR 0.76 [95% CI 0.68-0.86]), heavy drinking (OR 0.74 [95% CI 0.60-0.91]), hypertension (OR 0.71 [95% CI 0.64-0.79]), and dyslipidemia (OR 0.78 [95% CI 0.70-0.85]) were associated with a lower possibility of normoglycemia reversion. BMI ≥25 kg/m2 (OR 1.58 [95% CI 1.29-1.94]), abdominal obesity (OR 1.31 [95% CI 1.11-1.55]), current smoking (OR 1.43 [95% CI 1.07-1.91]), and hypertension (OR 1.26 [95% CI 1.07-1.49]) were associated with a higher probability of type 2 diabetes progression. Having more favorable modifiable factors was also associated with normoglycemia reversion (OR 1.46 [95% CI 1.30-1.64]) and type 2 diabetes progression (OR 0.62 [95% CI 0.49-0.77]). More favorable modifiable factors were related to a higher probability of returning to normoglycemia and a lower probability of progression to type 2 diabetes.

Mildly elevated diastolic blood pressure increases subsequent risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women in the Health Examinees-Gem study.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that hypertension is associated with breast cancer risk. However, previous studies disregard blood pressure components in the healthy population. We aimed to examine the relationship between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and breast cancer risk in a Korean population-based prospective cohort. A total of 73,031 women from the Health Examinees Gem Study were followed from baseline (2004 to 2013) through 2018. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured by trainee physicians at baseline recruitment and then categorized based on the international guidelines for clinical hypertension. Associations between systolic and diastolic blood pressure with overall breast cancer and stratified by premenopausal and postmenopausal status were evaluated using adjusted multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression. A total of 858 breast cancer cases were recorded for a median follow-up period of 9 years. Compared with the normal DBP category (< 85 mmHg), the normal-high category was positively associated with breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women (85–89 mmHg, HR 1.73 95% CI 1.28–2.33), but not in premenopausal women (85–89 mmHg, HR 0.87 95% CI 0.56–1.35). Similar results were found when all cases of self-reported hypertension were excluded. Results for SBP did not show a significant association with breast cancer risk. The association between DBP and breast cancer suggests DBP could be an important factor in cancer prevention, especially for women after menopause. Our study provides a first detailed approach to understanding the importance of diastolic blood pressure for breast cancer prevention and warrants further investigation.

Abstract P3-12-21: Blood pressure and the subsequent risk of breast cancer: Findings from the Health Examinees-Gem Study

Abstract Background The prevalence of breast cancer and hypertension has been steadily increasing over the past years, and evidence has suggested a positive association between hypertension and the risk of breast cancer. However, scarce studies have addressed the existing relationship of blood pressure components and the risk of incidence breast cancer. Therefore, we aimed to assess the association between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and the risk of breast cancer in a population-based cohort.MethodsThe research included 87,280 women aged 40 to 69 years from the Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) prospective cohort study between 2004 and 2013. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were measured based on baseline physical examination and then categorized based on clinical hypertension international guidelines. Additionally, hypertension was defined based on self-reported hypertension diagnosis or use of anti-hypertensive medication were obtained from a baseline questionnaire. Breast cancer incidence was followed through the Korean Cancer Center Registry. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association between SBP and DBP with breast cancer adjusted for family history of breast cancer, parity, age at birth of a first child, age at menopause, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking status, self-reported history of hypertension, and hormone replaced therapy used, additionally for postmenopausal women. Results A total of 1058 breast cancer cases were observed over a median follow-up of 8.4 years. Diastolic blood pressure was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in the total population (p for trend= 0.011). In postmenopausal women, DBP equal to or over 85mmHg was positively associated with breast cancer risk (HR: 1.58 95%IC 1.18 - 2.12), whereas no association was found in premenopausal women (HR: 0.87 IC95% 0.56 - 1.35)). Similar results were found when excluding all cases of self-reported hypertension and excluded participants diagnosed with breast. cancer within the first two years of the follow-up period. Results for systolic blood pressure did not significantly affect breast cancer risk for all women or by menopausal status. Conclusion These results suggest that higher diastolic blood pressure is related to an increased subsequent risk of breast cancer. This proposes that DBP is an important factor in cancer prevention in postmenopausal women, independently of having a previous hypertension diagnosis. Further studies need to be conducted to confirm these results and clarified the utterly potential mechanisms. Citation Format: Katherine De la Torre, Woo-Kyoung Shin, Dan Huang, Hwi-Won Lee, Aesun Shin, Jong-koo Lee, Hae-Young Lee, Daehee Kang. Blood pressure and the subsequent risk of breast cancer: Findings from the Health Examinees-Gem Study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-12-21.

Comparison of the Prevalence of Cardiometabolic Disorders and Comorbidities in Korea and the United States: Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

BackgroundComparison of the prevalence of cardiometabolic disorders (CMDs) and comorbidities in Korea and the United States (US) can be an important indicator for forecasting future risk of cardiovascular events in Korea. This study aimed to estimate and compare the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, obesity, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korea and the US.MethodsA total of 15,872 individuals from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2014 and 26,492 from the Korea NHANES (KNHANES) 2007–2014 were included. Additionally, 164,339 (139,345 from the Health Examinees-Gem Study and 24,994 from the Cardiovascular Disease Association Study) participants enrolled in the Korea Genome and Epidemiology Study were included to investigate the differences of CMDs between urban and rural regions. To estimate the age-standardized prevalence of CMDs in individuals aged 40–69 years, direct standardization using the World Health Organization standard population was performed.ResultsThe prevalence of CMDs was lower in Korea than the US (hypertension 49.9% vs. 56.8%; DM 13.4% vs. 14.3%; hypercholesterolemia 16.8% vs. 17.8%; obesity 36.2% vs. 38.6%; and MetS 29.4% vs. 36.5%). According to the median survey years, dyslipidemia has become more prevalent in Korea than in the US since 2010. The prevalence of CMDs was greater in rural than that in urban areas in Korea.ConclusionThe prevalence of dyslipidemia in Korea exceeded that of the US after 2010, which was associated with increasing burden of cardiovascular events. The present study suggests that further preventive strategies are needed to mitigate the prevalence of CMDs in Korea.

Carbohydrate Intake and Hyperlipidemia among Population with High‐Carbohydrate Diets: The Health Examinees Gem Study

ScopeThe association between carbohydrate intake from low‐, medium‐, and high‐glycemic index (GI) foods and hyperlipidemia among population with a high‐carbohydrate diet is examined.Methods and resultsA total of 93,870 participants of the Health Examinees Study (HEXA) are included in this cross‐sectional study. The odds ratio (ORs) and 95% confidence interval (CIs) are estimated using the logistic regression model. The mean (interquartile range) of % energy from carbohydrate intake is 72.05 (67.73–77.18)% per day. Increasing intake of carbohydrate replacing fat is associated with increasing prevalence of high triglyceride (TG) and low HDL‐cholesterol, with stronger association for high‐GI carbohydrates than low‐ or med‐GI carbohydrates. ORs (95% CIs) comparing the highest with the lowest quintiles of high‐GI carbohydrates are 1.27 (1.09, 1.48) among men and 1.51 (1.31, 1.74) among women for high TG; and 1.50 (1.24, 1.82) among men and 1.73 (1.54, 1.93) among women for low‐HDL‐cholesterol. High‐GI carbohydrate intake replacing fat is inversely associated with the prevalence of high LDL‐ and total cholesterol. More pronounced associations in body mass index (BMI) &lt;25 kg m−2 than higher BMI are found.ConclusionsIncreasing low‐quality carbohydrate intake is associated with increasing prevalence of high TGs and low HDL‐cholesterol.

Association between family history of diabetes and clusters of adherence to healthy behaviors: cross-sectional results from the Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study

ObjectivesThis study evaluated whether individuals with affected family member adhered to healthy behaviours.Design and settingThis was a cross-sectional study of participants selected from health examinees who underwent the national health...

Trends and Correlates of High-Risk Alcohol Consumption and Types of Alcoholic Beverages in Middle-Aged Korean Adults: Results From the HEXA-G Study.

BackgroundWe aimed to report the prevalence and correlates of high-risk alcohol consumption and types of alcoholic beverages.MethodsThe baseline data of the Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study participants, including 43,927 men and 85,897 women enrolled from 2005 through 2013, were used for analysis. Joinpoint regression was performed to estimate trends in the age-standardized prevalence of alcohol consumption. Associations of demographic and behavioral factors, perceived health-related effects, social relationships, and the diagnostic history of diseases with alcohol consumption were assessed using multinomial logistic regression.ResultsThe prevalence of alcohol consumption remained higher in men during the study period and increased in women. The amount of alcohol consumed has increased in women, especially that from beer and makgeolli, a traditional Korean fermented rice wine. Older participants were less likely to be high-risk drinkers (men and women who drink more than 40 or 20 g/day of alcohol, respectively) and drink Soju, a distilled liquor, and beer, and more likely to drink makgeolli. Educational level was negatively associated with high-risk drinking. However, it was positively associated with the consumption of strong spirits and wine. Smoking was associated with high-risk drinking and the consumption of soju and strong spirits. Engaging in regular exercise and having stress were associated with drinking all types of beverages except for soju.ConclusionsSex-specific trends in alcohol consumption were influenced by demographic, behavioral, and perceived health-related factors. The findings will help improve the understanding of alcohol-related problems and provide evidence for establishing country-specific policies and campaigns in Korea.

Association between Change in Alcohol Consumption and Metabolic Syndrome: Analysis from the Health Examinees Study.

BackgroundThe association between change in alcohol intake and metabolic syndrome is unclear.MethodsThis retrospective cohort consisted of 41,368 males and females from the Health Examinees-GEM study. Participants were divided into non-drinkers (0.0 g/day), light drinkers (male: 0.1 to 19.9 g/day; female: 0.1 to 9.9 g/day), moderate drinkers (male: 20.0 to 39.9 g/day; female: 10.0 to 19.9 g/day), and heavy drinkers (male: ≥40.0 g/day; female: ≥20.0 g/day) for each of the initial and follow-up health examinations. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for developing metabolic syndrome according to the change in alcohol consumption between the initial and follow-up health examinations. Adjusted mean values for the change in waist circumference, fasting serum glucose (FSG), blood pressure, triglycerides, and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels were determined according to the change in alcohol consumption by linear regression analysis.ResultsCompared to persistent light drinkers, those who increased alcohol intake to heavy levels had elevated risk of metabolic syndrome (aOR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.09 to 1.92). In contrast, heavy drinkers who became light drinkers had reduced risk of metabolic syndrome (aOR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.84) compared to persistent heavy drinkers. Increased alcohol consumption was associated with elevated adjusted mean values for waist circumference, FSG, blood pressure, triglycerides, and HDL-C levels (all P<0.05). Reduction in alcohol intake was associated with decreased waist circumference, FSG, blood pressure, triglycerides, and HDL-C levels among initial heavy drinkers (all P<0.05).ConclusionHeavy drinkers who reduce alcohol consumption could benefit from reduced risk of metabolic syndrome.

An association between diet quality index for Koreans (DQI-K) and total mortality in Health Examinees Gem (HEXA-G) study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESDiet quality scores or indices, based on dietary guidelines, are used to summarize dietary intake into a single numeric variable. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the modified diet quality index for Koreans (DQI-K) and mortality among Health Examinees-Gem (HEXA-G) study participants.SUBJECTS/METHODSThe DQI-K was modified from the original diet quality index. A total of 134,547 participants (45,207 men and 89,340 women) from the HEXA-G study (2004 and 2013) were included. The DQI-K is based on eight components: 1) daily protein intake, 2) percent of energy from fat, 3) percent of energy from saturated fat, 4) daily cholesterol intake, 5) daily whole-grain intake, 6) daily fruit intake, 7) daily vegetable intake, and 8) daily sodium intake. The association between all-cause mortality and the DQI-K was examined using Cox proportional hazard regression models. Hazard ratios and confidence intervals were estimated after adjusting for age, gender, income, smoking status, alcohol drinking, body mass index, and total energy intake.RESULTSThe total DQI-K score was calculated by summing the scores of the eight components (range 0–9). In the multivariable adjusted models, with good diet quality (score 0–4) as a reference, poor diet quality (score 5–9) was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratios = 1.23, 95% confidence intervals = 1.06–1.43). Moreover, a one-unit increase in DQI-K score resulted in a 6% higher mortality risk.CONCLUSIONSA poor diet quality DQI-K score was associated with an increased risk of mortality. The DQI-K in the present study may be used to assess the diet quality of Korean adults.

Frequency of Loud Snoring and Metabolic Syndrome among Korean Adults: Results from the Health Examinees (HEXA) Study.

Studies regarding the association between snoring and metabolic abnormalities have been inconsistent. We examine whether snoring frequency and obstructive sleep apnea markers are associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) among Koreans aged 40–69 years. A total of 72,885 subjects (24,856 men, 48,029 women) from the Health Examinees Gem study between 2009 and 2013 were included. Snoring frequency was grouped into five categories (never, 1–3/month, 1–3/week, 4–5/week, 6+/week). Obstructive sleep apnea markers included breathing interruptions and awakenings. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated through logistic regression. Compared with non-snorers, those who snore 6+/week were associated with increased odds for MetS (OR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.91–2.25, p-trend < 0.0001 among men; OR: 1.45, CI: 1.33–1.58, p-trend < 0.0001 among women). Snoring frequency is associated with MetS and its components in both men and women. Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea markers are important indicators of sleep quality, which may facilitate early detection of sleep disorders and further complications such as MetS.