BMI, Age Impact the Risk for Multiple Myeloma
Although obesity is the only known modifiable risk factor for multiple myeloma (MM), the influence of age on this relationship was not well understood until recently.
Now, researchers have found that individuals with a high body mass index (BMI) during early and later adulthood have an increased risk for developing MM.
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The researchers reached this conclusion following an analysis of patient data from the Nurses’ Health Study, Health Professionals Follow-up Study, and Women’s Health Study.
Information regarding young adult BMI, cumulative average BMI, BMI change since young adulthood, and cumulative average physical activity and walking were obtained via questionnaires. Subsequently, the association between each of these variables and the risk for MM was assessed using Cox proportional hazard models.
Ultimately, the researchers identified 575 incident cases of MM in more than 5 million person-years of follow-up. They found that each additional 5 kg/m2 increase in cumulative average BMI and 5 kg/m2 increase in young adult BMI were associated with a 17% and 28% increase in MM risk, respectively.
“These findings suggest that a high BMI in early and later adulthood are risk factors for MM,” the researchers wrote.
However, they noted that no association was observed between MM risk and BMI change since young adulthood and cumulative average physical activity and walking.
—Christina Vogt
Reference:
Marinac CR, Birmann BM, Lee IM, et al. Body mass index throughout adulthood, physical activity, and risk of multiple myeloma: a prospective analysis in three large cohorts [Published online March 12, 2018]. Br J Cancer. doi:10.1038/s41416-018-0010-4.