New Research in Medicine: Diabetes and Cancer
In our last New Research in Medicine article, obesity was our central focus. Diabetes, which can be a direct result of obesity, is our subject for today. Like obesity, it can be a significant problem; according to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million people in America today, or 8.3% of the population, have diabetes. Also similar to obesity, a number of long-term complications can result from diabetes, such as coronary artery disease and stroke, which can ultimately lead to death – the ADA also states that diabetes was a significant factor in 231,604 deaths in 2007. What may come as a surprise to some, though, is that there is a strong relationship between diabetes and cancer.
A team of CDC scientists analyzed the data of 397,783 adults who participated in a specific survey and “had valid data on diabetes and cancer”. Their findings, released this year, reveal that diabetic men have a higher chance of contracting prostate, colon, pancreatic, rectal, bladder and kidney cancers than normal men. Additionally, diabetic women have an increased risk of contracting leukemia, as well as breast and endometrial cancers. The most significant increases in cancer risks are for rectal cancer (120%), endometrial cancer (130%), and, most of all, pancreatic cancer (360%).
Much of the advice we gave for avoiding obesity also applies to type 2 diabetes. Healthy eating and regular exercise can help to prevent this form of diabetes by preventing excessive weight gain. However, the protection offered by this behavior is limited at best; there is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes frequently affects adults over the age of 45, regardless of their BMI. More research must be done to determine how to address this issue – if you have any money to spare, give some money to further diabetes research, and help a worthy cause!
Work Cited:
Li, Chaoyang, Lina S. Balluz, Earl S. Ford, Catherine A. Okoro, James Tsai, and Guixiang Zhao. “Association Between Diagnosed Diabetes and Self-Reported Cancer Among U.S. Adults.” Diabetes Care. 34.6 (2011): 1365-1368. Print.
