Metabolic syndrome linked with elevated risk of bladder cancer

China: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with an elevated risk of bladder cancer in the general population, a recent study in Frontiers in Oncology has revealed. The results underscore the importance of individualized management of MetS components for preventing bladder cancer.

A metabolic syndrome is a group of metabolic abnormalities, including hypertension, central obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. The components of MetS have been shown as risk factors for various solid cancers. However, currently, there is limited epidemiological evidence on the relevance of MetS and the risk of bladder cancer.

Considering the above, Shuo Fang, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China, and colleagues aimed to examine whether MetS factors, either individually or in the aggregate, are associated with the subsequent bladder cancer occurrence, and they also investigated the non-linear associations for individual MetS components in a prospective cohort study.

The study included 476,986 participants with undiagnosed bladder cancer based on the UK Biobank. The study defined metabolic syndrome as at least three of the five selected indicators: central obesity, hypertension, reduced HDL-cholesterol, raised triglyceride, and increased fasting plasma glucose. The researchers identified bladder cancer by contacting the British Cancer Registry for a median follow-up time of 6.6 years. Hazard ratio (HR) was assessed through Cox proportional hazard regression following lifestyle and demographic factors adjustment. The restricted cubic spline method examined non-linear associations for individual MetS components.