User login
Major Finding: Individuals in the highest quartile for serum insulin level were 2.8 times more likely to have Barrett's esophagus, compared with those in the lowest quartile.
Data Source: A case-control study including 135 Barrett's esophagus patients, 135 controls with gastroesophageal reflux disease, and 932 controls undergoing colonoscopies.
Disclosures: Dr. Greer stated that she had no financial conflicts of interest.
NEW ORLEANS — High insulin levels, insulin resistance, and central body fat were each significantly associated with an increased risk of Barrett's esophagus in a recent case-control study.
Previous studies have shown that obesity increases the risk of both esophageal adenocarcinoma and its precursor, Barrett's esophagus (BE). In this study, Dr. Katarina Greer and her colleagues investigated whether central adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance are independent risk factors for BE.
“The mechanism through which obesity promotes cancer is still largely unknown,” said Dr. Greer of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland.
The researchers identified 135 adults with BE among consecutive patients seen at a single tertiary care center. The average age of the BE patients was 64 years. These patients were compared with two control groups—135 adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and 932 control adults who were undergoing routine colonoscopies.
Overall, high levels of insulin and insulin resistance were significant independent risk factors for BE, Dr. Greer noted. Individuals in the highest quartile of serum insulin had a 2.8-fold increase in the risk of BE, compared with those in the lowest quartile, when the two control groups were combined in a multivariate analysis controlling for age, sex, and waist-to-hip ratio.
Regarding insulin resistance, individuals in the highest quartile of values for the homeostasis model assessment–insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were about three times more likely to develop BE, compared with those in the lowest quartile.
HOMA-IR was calculated using baseline fasting insulin and glucose levels. Mean fasting insulin levels were significantly higher in BE patients vs. colonoscopy patients (10.1 vs. 7.4 microIU/mL).
In addition, BE patients were more insulin resistant than either of the control groups. The mean HOMA-IR in the BE group was 2.7, compared with 1.8 for the control groups.
The average body mass index was 30.8 kg/m
The findings support existing evidence of a connection between insulin and cancer, but additional studies are needed to examine whether losing weight and treating insulin resistance can disrupt or reverse progression to cancer in BE patients, Dr. Greer said.
Major Finding: Individuals in the highest quartile for serum insulin level were 2.8 times more likely to have Barrett's esophagus, compared with those in the lowest quartile.
Data Source: A case-control study including 135 Barrett's esophagus patients, 135 controls with gastroesophageal reflux disease, and 932 controls undergoing colonoscopies.
Disclosures: Dr. Greer stated that she had no financial conflicts of interest.
NEW ORLEANS — High insulin levels, insulin resistance, and central body fat were each significantly associated with an increased risk of Barrett's esophagus in a recent case-control study.
Previous studies have shown that obesity increases the risk of both esophageal adenocarcinoma and its precursor, Barrett's esophagus (BE). In this study, Dr. Katarina Greer and her colleagues investigated whether central adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance are independent risk factors for BE.
“The mechanism through which obesity promotes cancer is still largely unknown,” said Dr. Greer of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland.
The researchers identified 135 adults with BE among consecutive patients seen at a single tertiary care center. The average age of the BE patients was 64 years. These patients were compared with two control groups—135 adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and 932 control adults who were undergoing routine colonoscopies.
Overall, high levels of insulin and insulin resistance were significant independent risk factors for BE, Dr. Greer noted. Individuals in the highest quartile of serum insulin had a 2.8-fold increase in the risk of BE, compared with those in the lowest quartile, when the two control groups were combined in a multivariate analysis controlling for age, sex, and waist-to-hip ratio.
Regarding insulin resistance, individuals in the highest quartile of values for the homeostasis model assessment–insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were about three times more likely to develop BE, compared with those in the lowest quartile.
HOMA-IR was calculated using baseline fasting insulin and glucose levels. Mean fasting insulin levels were significantly higher in BE patients vs. colonoscopy patients (10.1 vs. 7.4 microIU/mL).
In addition, BE patients were more insulin resistant than either of the control groups. The mean HOMA-IR in the BE group was 2.7, compared with 1.8 for the control groups.
The average body mass index was 30.8 kg/m
The findings support existing evidence of a connection between insulin and cancer, but additional studies are needed to examine whether losing weight and treating insulin resistance can disrupt or reverse progression to cancer in BE patients, Dr. Greer said.
Major Finding: Individuals in the highest quartile for serum insulin level were 2.8 times more likely to have Barrett's esophagus, compared with those in the lowest quartile.
Data Source: A case-control study including 135 Barrett's esophagus patients, 135 controls with gastroesophageal reflux disease, and 932 controls undergoing colonoscopies.
Disclosures: Dr. Greer stated that she had no financial conflicts of interest.
NEW ORLEANS — High insulin levels, insulin resistance, and central body fat were each significantly associated with an increased risk of Barrett's esophagus in a recent case-control study.
Previous studies have shown that obesity increases the risk of both esophageal adenocarcinoma and its precursor, Barrett's esophagus (BE). In this study, Dr. Katarina Greer and her colleagues investigated whether central adiposity, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance are independent risk factors for BE.
“The mechanism through which obesity promotes cancer is still largely unknown,” said Dr. Greer of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland.
The researchers identified 135 adults with BE among consecutive patients seen at a single tertiary care center. The average age of the BE patients was 64 years. These patients were compared with two control groups—135 adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and 932 control adults who were undergoing routine colonoscopies.
Overall, high levels of insulin and insulin resistance were significant independent risk factors for BE, Dr. Greer noted. Individuals in the highest quartile of serum insulin had a 2.8-fold increase in the risk of BE, compared with those in the lowest quartile, when the two control groups were combined in a multivariate analysis controlling for age, sex, and waist-to-hip ratio.
Regarding insulin resistance, individuals in the highest quartile of values for the homeostasis model assessment–insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were about three times more likely to develop BE, compared with those in the lowest quartile.
HOMA-IR was calculated using baseline fasting insulin and glucose levels. Mean fasting insulin levels were significantly higher in BE patients vs. colonoscopy patients (10.1 vs. 7.4 microIU/mL).
In addition, BE patients were more insulin resistant than either of the control groups. The mean HOMA-IR in the BE group was 2.7, compared with 1.8 for the control groups.
The average body mass index was 30.8 kg/m
The findings support existing evidence of a connection between insulin and cancer, but additional studies are needed to examine whether losing weight and treating insulin resistance can disrupt or reverse progression to cancer in BE patients, Dr. Greer said.