title: Examining the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among overweight/obese African-American breast cancer survivors vs. matched non-cancer controls.
abstract: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is more predominant in overweight, obese and minority populations. This study examined the prevalence of MetS in an exclusively African-American (AA) cohort of breast cancer (BC) survivors; an underrepresented group in previous studies demonstrating negative BC outcomes disparities for females with MetS.
  
  
  
  Using a case-control design, overweight/obese AA women with treated Stage I-IIIa BC were matched 1:1 on age, race, sex, and body mass index (BMI) category with non-cancer population controls (n = 444). Three of the following conditions were used to define MetS: HDL cholesterol <50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L), serum triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L), blood glucose ≥100 mg/dL (or on treatment), waist circumference ≥88 cm, or ≥130 mmHg systolic or ≥85 mmHg diastolic blood pressure (or on treatment). Matched-pairs analyses were conducted.
  
  
  
  For BC cases, most women had self-reported Stage I (n = 76) or Stage II (n = 91) disease and were 6.9 (±5.2) years post-diagnosis. MetS was significantly lower in BC survivors vs. their non-cancer population controls (43.2 vs. 51.4 %, respectively; p < 0.05). The diagnosis of MetS did not differ by BMI stratification. A lower prevalence of ≥2 risk factors (80.2 vs. 85.6 %, p < 0.05) was observed for all cases vs.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  While MetS occurred less frequently in our BC cases vs. non-cancer controls, our estimates are nearly two times those reported in other BC survivors, suggesting important racial/ethnic differences.
  
  
  
  The prognostic implications of MetS among AA BC survivors remain unknown and warrant further investigation.
authors: Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, Health Sciences Campus, 2160 South First Avenue, Building 120, Room 4527, Maywood, IL, 60153, USA. psheean1@luc.edu.
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Sheean
authors: Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., One Takeda Parkway, Deerfield, IL, 60015, USA.
authors: Huifang
authors: H
authors: Liang
authors: Division of Academic Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt Road, Room 558, MC 275, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA.
authors: Linda
authors: L
authors: Schiffer
authors: Division of Academic Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt Road, Room 558, MC 275, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA.
authors: Claudia
authors: C
authors: Arroyo
authors: Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors: Melinda
authors: M
authors: Stolley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017741:Survivors; D014481:United States
keywords: African-American; Breast cancer; Case control; Metabolic syndrome; Survivorship