Obese men are 6 times more likely to have polyps in the colon compared to their thinner counterparts. BMI and waist circumference should be used to assess the risk of colorectal cancer.
Obesity is a known risk factor for many cancers, including colon cancer. But until now the link between obesity and colon cancer has been poorly explained. A study from Michigan State University provides some explanations. The researchers followed 126 men with no apparent health problems aged 48 to 65 for 18 months. These Americans had routine colonoscopies. “We found that 78% of the participants were overweight or obese,” said Dr. Jenifer Fenton, one of the study’s authors. And in 30% of them, we detected more than one polyp thanks to colonoscopy ”.
According to this study, obese participants are 6.5 times more likely to have three polyps compared to their thinner counterparts. Previous work had shown that the risk of colorectal cancer was increased by 41% in people with a body mass index greater than 30 kg / m2 compared to people with a BMI less than or equal to 20 kg / m2.
Researchers at the University of Michigan went further, looking at the presence in the serum of a number of molecules, including leptin, a hormone that is secreted by white adipose tissue and acts at the level of the body. brain to regulate energy expenditure and food intake. They found that high serum leptin concentrations (> 9 ng / ml) are also associated with the presence of carcinogenic polyps. Thus, the authors suggest that the combination of BMI, waist circumference and leptin level can be used to identify individuals at increased risk for the formation of colorectal polyps, and in particular adenoma. According to them, a colonoscopy to screen people with these risk factors could lower the rate of colorectal cancer.
It should be remembered that in France, colorectal cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer death, is the subject of a national screening program organized by the public authorities. Every two years, men and women aged 50 to 74 are invited to undergo a screening test given by their attending physician. INCa, together with the Ministry of Health and the health insurance schemes, are also organizing an information campaign in March to make the men and women concerned aware of the importance of screening. of colorectal cancer.
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