Evidence Shows Link between Obesity and Liver Cancer

November 30, 2016
Link between Obesity and Liver Cancer

Most people associate liver disease with alcoholism and hepatitis. According to new research, however, obesity can also play a role in determining a person's risk of developing liver problems.
Published in the October 14 issue of the journal Cancer Research, the recent study determined that having a high body mass index (BMI) or large waistline increased a person's risk for liver cancer. What's more, having type 2 diabetes mellitus - a condition associated with obesity - doubled a person's risk.
Troubling Data
To reach their findings, researchers studied data on 1.57 million adults from over a dozen United States medical studies. Although none of the subjects had cancer when the studies began, many were obese. By the end of the study, over 2,100 of the participants developed liver cancer. After analyzing the data, the researchers found that as a person's BMI increased, so too did his or her risk for liver cancer. They also uncovered an 8-percent increase in risk for every extra two inches of fat on a subject's waistline.
A Growing Problem
Liver cancer rates have nearly tripled in the U.S. since the mid-1970s. While they can't say for sure, most health experts attribute the increase, at least in part, to rising rates of obesity. While only about eight adults out of 100,000 will develop liver cancer in any given year, obesity also increases a person's risk of other serious diseases, including:

  • Coronary Heart Disease
  • Stroke
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Metabolic Syndrome
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome

Numerous studies have also linked obesity to cancers of the colon, rectum, esophagus, pancreas, breast and more. In fact, According to the American Cancer Society, excess body weight contributes to as many as 1 out of every 5 cancer-related deaths.
With this in mind, it's clear that doctors should urge their patients to maintain healthy weights. Likewise, if they are overweight, patients should be monitored for signs of type 2 diabetes, which has clearly been established as an obesity-related disease.

Son kissing mother

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the attention you gave me last week. My son was started on antibiotics and ear drops. Within 24 hours he began to feel better. The poor kid had been going to school in tears because he was afraid of missing any more days, but feeling (and looking) just awful! He's not been able to even think about lacrosse practice, but thanks to starting him on antibiotics, he was thrilled to return to practice today.
Patient
Somers, NY
  • 5.0
    
    Rating
  • 4.6
    
    Rating