Women with breast cancer face increased mortality risk with a higher metabolic syndrome (MetS) score, characterized by obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, or abnormal cholesterol levels.

The findings, published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, indicate that MetS and obesity each have different associations with breast cancer subtypes and mortality risk. The analysis was based on 63,330 postmenopausal without prior breast cancer, as well as normal entry mammograms and MetS scores (0-4).

Metabolic Syndrome and Breast Cancer Mortality

After a median follow-up of 23.2 years, there were 4,562 incident breast cancers and 659 deaths from breast cancer (breast cancer mortality). Researchers found that a higher MetS score (3-4), regardless of obesity, raised the risk of poor prognosis, estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, progesterone receptor (PR)-negative breast cancers, and a 44 percent higher risk of breast cancer mortality.

On the other hand, obesity, regardless of MetS score, led to more good prognosis, ER-positive, and PR-positive cancers. Only women with severe obesity had an elevated risk of death from breast cancer.

“Postmenopausal women with higher MetS scores are a previously unrecognised population at higher breast cancer mortality risk,” said lead author Rowan T. Chlebowski, The Lundquist Institute in California, US.

Rowan noted that MetS scores can easily be determined during routine visits at any healthcare facility by checking “cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension history as well as waist circumference and blood pressure measurements,” and can be treated.

Source-IANS