Obesity and the risk of Hodgkin lymphoma (United Kingdom).
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and obesity.


METHODS
A population-based case-control study recruited incident cases of lymphoma in England during 1998-2003. Information on height and weight was collected from 216 cases with a histologically confirmed incident diagnosis of HL and their age- and sex-matched controls.


RESULTS
Obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 kg m(-2) or above at 5 years prior to diagnosis, increased the risk of HL more than 2-fold compared to those in the normal range of 18.5-<25 kg m(-2) (odds ratio (OR) = 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1, 4.3). The association was more prominent among men (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 6.5) than women (OR = 1.1, 95% CI: 0.3, 3.8). Elevated risks tended to be among older (aged 36-50 and 51-69) rather than younger persons (aged < or =35 years), and for EBV-ve, rather than EBV+ve, HL.


CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that obesity may increase the risk of HL, particularly among men. Further investigations are needed to confirm these findings.
Willett
Eleanor V
EV
Epidemiology and Genetics Unit, Department of Health Sciences, Seebohm Rowntree Building, University of York, UK. eleanor.willett@egu.york.ac.uk
Roman
Eve
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology