According to a recent study, women who are overweight or obese have up to twice the risk of developing colorectal cancer before age 50 in contrast to women who have what is considered a normal body mass index.
The study is among the first epidemiologic analyses of the potential contributors to early, onset colorectal cancer, cases diagnosed under age 50. The researchers found that higher current BMI, BMI at 18 years of age, and weight gain since early adulthood are associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer under age 50. It included data from 85,256 women aged 25 to 44 in the Nurses’ Health Study II, which began in 1989. It’s true even among women with no family history of the disease.
“Our findings really highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy weight, beginning in early adulthood for the prevention of early-onset colorectal cancer,” said co-senior author and cancer epidemiologist Yin Cao.
“We hypothesised that the obesity epidemic may partially contribute to this national and global concern in early-onset colorectal cancer rates, but we were surprised by the strength of the link and the contribution of obesity and weight change since early adulthood,” Cao added.
“There are few known risk factors for early-onset colorectal cancer,” said Edward Giovannucci, MD, ScD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
The study is among the first epidemiologic analyses of the potential contributors to early, onset colorectal cancer, cases diagnosed under age 50. The researchers found that higher current BMI, BMI at 18 years of age, and weight gain since early adulthood are associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer under age 50. It included data from 85,256 women aged 25 to 44 in the Nurses’ Health Study II, which began in 1989. It’s true even among women with no family history of the disease.
“Our findings really highlight the importance of maintaining a healthy weight, beginning in early adulthood for the prevention of early-onset colorectal cancer,” said co-senior author and cancer epidemiologist Yin Cao.
“We hypothesised that the obesity epidemic may partially contribute to this national and global concern in early-onset colorectal cancer rates, but we were surprised by the strength of the link and the contribution of obesity and weight change since early adulthood,” Cao added.
“There are few known risk factors for early-onset colorectal cancer,” said Edward Giovannucci, MD, ScD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
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