title: A healthy lifestyle index is associated with reduced risk of colorectal adenomatous polyps among non-users of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
abstract: In a Columbia, South Carolina-based case-control study, we developed a healthy lifestyle index from five modifiable lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, diet, and body mass index), and examined the association between this lifestyle index and the risk of colorectal adenomatous polyps (adenoma). Participants were recruited from a local endoscopy center and completed questionnaires related to lifestyle behaviors prior to colonoscopy. We scored responses on each of five lifestyle factors as unhealthy (0 point) or healthy (1 point) based on current evidence and recommendations. We added the five scores to produce a combined lifestyle index for each participant ranging from 0 (least healthy) to 5 (healthiest), which was dichotomized into unhealthy (0-2) and healthy (3-5) lifestyle scores. We used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for adenoma with adjustment for multiple covariates. We identified 47 adenoma cases and 91 controls. In the main analyses, there was a statistically nonsignificant inverse association between the dichotomous (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.22, 1.29) and continuous (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.51, 1.10) lifestyle index and adenoma. Odds of adenoma were significantly modified by the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (p(interaction) = 0.04). For participants who reported no use of NSAIDs, those in the healthy lifestyle category had a 72% lower odds of adenoma as compared to those in the unhealthy category (OR 0.28; 95% CI 0.08, 0.98), whereas a one-unit increase in the index significantly reduced odds of adenoma by 53% (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.26, 0.88). Although these findings should be interpreted cautiously given our small sample size, our results suggest that higher scores from this index are associated with reduced odds of adenomas, especially in non-users of NSAIDs. Lifestyle interventions are required to test this approach as a strategy to prevent colorectal adenomatous polyps.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, 915 Greene Street, 4th Floor, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA, tabung@email.sc.edu.
authors.forename: Fred K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Tabung
authors.forename: Susan E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Steck
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Burch
authors.forename: Chin-Fu
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hongmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Hurley
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cavicchia
authors.forename: Melannie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shivappa
authors.forename: Kim E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Creek
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Hebert
mesh_terms: D018256:Adenomatous Polyps / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal