Visceral fat area and markers of insulin resistance in relation to colorectal neoplasia.
OBJECTIVE
Although abdominal obesity and related metabolic abnormalities are hypothesized to promote colorectal carcinogenesis, direct confirmation of this effect is required. Here, we examined the relation of early-stage colorectal neoplasia to visceral fat area and markers of insulin resistance.


METHODS
Subjects were participants in a comprehensive health screening conducted at the Hitachi Health Care Center, Ibaraki, Japan. During a 3-year period (2004-2007), a total of 108 patients with early-stage colorectal neoplasia, including 22 with early cancer, were identified among individuals who received both colorectal cancer screening and abdominal computed tomography scanning. Three control subjects matched to each case subject were randomly selected from those whose screening results were negative. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of measures of obesity and markers of insulin resistance with colorectal neoplasia, with adjustment for smoking and alcohol drinking.


RESULTS
Visceral fat area, but not subcutaneous fat area, was significantly positively associated with colorectal cancer, with odds ratios (95% CI) for the lowest to highest tertile of visceral fat area of 1 (reference), 2.17 (0.45-10.46), and 5.92 (1.22-28.65), respectively (P(trend) = 0.02). Markers of insulin resistance, particularly fasting glucose, were also positively associated with colorectal cancer risk. In contrast, no associations were observed for colorectal adenomas.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that visceral adipose tissue accumulation and insulin resistance may promote the development of early-stage cancer but not adenoma in the colorectum.
Yamamoto
Shuichiro
S
Hitachi Health Care Center, Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan. shuichiro.yamamoto.sr@hitachi.com
Nakagawa
Toru
T
Matsushita
Yumi
Y
Kusano
Suzushi
S
Hayashi
Takeshi
T
Irokawa
Masataka
M
Aoki
Takatoshi
T
Korogi
Yukunori
Y
Mizoue
Tetsuya
T
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016017:Odds Ratio