BMI Trajectory Significantly Affects the Risk of Cancer

Increases in body mass index (BMI) over 15 years can raise the risk of obesity-related cancer later in life, according to findings of a new study.

The findings were presented at the National Cancer Research Institute’s 2016 Cancer Conference.
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Previous research has established that BMI is associated with at least 10 obesity-related cancers in adults. However, little is known about how overweight or obesity affects the lifetime risk of cancer.

To better understand the association, the researchers assessed the change in BMI of more than 300,000 Americans aged 18 years to 65 years and categorized them into 5 weight loss trajectory classes: lean-moderate increase, medium-marked increase, lean-marked increase, heavy-marked increase, and lean-stable.

After an average 15-year follow-up, the researchers concluded that men whose BMI increased from about 22 kg/m² to 27 kg/m² had a 50% increased risk of obesity-related cancer, and men who were overweight and became obese had a 53% increased risk compared with men who stayed at a healthy BMI.

Women whose BMI increased from 23 kg/m² to 32 kg/m² had a 17% increased risk of obesity-related cancer vs women who stayed at a healthy BMI.

“BMI trajectories with marked and heavy increases over an individual’s lifetime are associated with increase risk of obesity-related cancers, which are gender- and cancer-subtype specific,” the researchers concluded.

“The lean-stable and lean-moderate increase classes have the lowest obesity-related cancer risk, indicating many new obesity-related cancers are avoidable.”

—Amanda Balbi

Reference:

Lennon H, Sperrin M, Renehan A. Lifetime BMI trajectory classes and obesity-related cancer risk in a US retrospective cohort study. Paper presented at 2016 National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference; November 6-9, 2016; Liverpool, England. http://abstracts.ncri.org.uk/abstract/lifetime-bmi-trajectory-classes-and-obesity-related-cancer-risk-in-a-us-retrospective-cohort-study/. Accessed November 7, 2016.