Metabolic Syndrome Could Cause Breast Cancer

Scientists have discovered that physiological changes could be leading to the development of breast cancer in 47 million Americans. Findings have led to the conclusion that metabolic or insulin resistance syndrome is strongly connected to the risk of developing postmenopausal breast cancer. This is far from being a doom and gloom discovery however. This is because of the fact that scientists have discovered that metabolic syndrome is virtually totally preventable and normally reversible simply be adopting healthier lifestyles, which could in turn mean that it will be possible to as well prevent many breast cancer cases.  Read more about Pharmaceutical Companies Report – Global Top 10 Pharmaceutical Companies

The following are the common symptoms and signs found in patients suffering from metabolic syndrome: high blood glucose and pressure levels, impaired glucose tolerance, abdominal obesity and abnormal lipid levels i.e. low HDL or good cholesterol levels, coupled with high levels of triglycerides.

Common victims of metabolic syndrome are individuals who lead often sedentary lives, are most likely overweight and make poor choices when it comes to nutrition such as eating too much junk food. Metabolic syndrome is also known to be the leading cause of increased chances of developing heart disease and diabetes in such individuals. It has in fact been noted in the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLB) that of all Americans, 25 % suffer from metabolic syndrome. The greater concern is also that the cases of metabolic syndrome are growing at such an alarming rate because of the rise in obesity, that metabolic syndrome is likely to take over from smoking and become the leading cause of heart disease.

For this research, a study was carried out to prove whether high levels of insulin found in metabolic syndrome are linked to the development of breast malignancies. This was a pioneer test in determining whether women suffering from metabolic syndrome faced greater chances of developing postmenopausal breast cancer. This study was based on already existing data collected by the Women’s Health Initiative, which was conducted to analyze the major causes of chronic disease in women. Participants in the research were women between 50 – 79 years of age at the beginning of the study, who were found to exhibit repeated signs of metabolic syndrome over the subsequent 8 years. These signs included low HDL cholesterol levels, high levels of triglycerides, elevated levels of blood glucose, excessive fat around their middles and hypertension. Out of the 4888 women exhibiting symptoms of metabolic syndrome, 65 were diagnosed with breast cancer. The findings showed that women suffering from metabolic syndrome for 3 -5 years before being diagnosed with breast cancer were twice as likely to develop this disease as women without metabolic syndrome.

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