The Open Hypertension Journal
2013, 5 : 49-49Published online 2013 November 15. DOI: 10.2174/1876526201305010049
Publisher ID: TOHYPERJ-5-49
Cardiometabolic Factors and Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study in Women
ABSTRACT
Background:
Previous studies have suggested that individual cardiometabolic factors may be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Objective:
To evaluate the association between individual cardiometabolic factors with breast cancer development.
Design:
A case – control study. Two-hundred-and-fifty consecutive, newly diagnosed breast cancer female patients (56±12 years) and 250, one-to-one age-matched with the patients, healthy volunteers (controls), were studied. A standardized, validated questionnaire assessing various socio-demographic, clinical, lifestyle and dietary characteristics, was applied through face-to-face interviews. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was evaluated using the 11-components MedDietScore (theoretical range 0-55). A detailed medical history regarding the common co-morbidities (i.e., diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia) and their treatment was also recorded, while women were also categorized using the Body Mass Index (BMI) as an indicator of obesity.
Results:
Obesity (i.e., BMI>30 kg/m2) was positively associated with the likelihood of having breast cancer.
Conclusions:
With the exception of obesity, none of the other tested cardiometabolic risk factors seemed to be a predisposing factor for breast cancer development.