Pear-shaped people have a higher risk of colon cancer

A study has shown that obese people and those who are tall and have excess weight around their abdomen have a higher risk of developing colon cancer. In order from the left, they are a general obese body type, a tall body type with a low waist-to-hip ratio, a tall body type with abdominal obesity, and a muscular body type./Photo = Science Advances Capture of original data from the paper.

Colon cancer is the second most common type of cancer in Korea and the third highest mortality rate (National Cancer Information Center). There are almost no symptoms in the beginning, but symptoms begin to appear when the cancer has progressed to a certain extent, so prevention, treatment, and early screening of high-risk groups are important. Recently, research results have shown that obese people and people who are tall and have excess fat around their abdomen have a higher risk of developing colon cancer.

A research team from the International Agency for Research on Cancer analyzed the relationship between body type and risk of colon cancer using UK Biobank data. The research team classified the participants into four body types, reflecting ▲ body mass index (BMI) ▲ height ▲ weight ▲ waist-to-hip ratio ▲ waist and hip circumference. The body types were divided into ▲general obese body type ▲tall body type with low waist-to-hip ratio ▲body type with tall and abdominal obesity ▲muscular body type.

As a result of the analysis, obese body types, being tall, and having fat concentrated in the center of the body (abdomen, legs, and buttocks) had a high risk of developing colon cancer. The research team conducted genetic analysis on the two body types. As a result of analyzing 329,828 UK Biobank participants, 3,728 genetic mutations were identified. Data from 460,198 study participants revealed 3,414 genetic mutations.

The research team analyzed that genetic mutations found in obese body types affected insulin signaling and energy homeostasis, increasing the risk of developing colon cancer. When energy enhancement is disturbed, systemic inflammation increases. A body type with fat concentrated in the abdomen, legs, and buttocks is likely to have metabolically harmful ectopic fat. Fat accumulates under the skin and between the internal organs, and when there is no place for it anymore, it accumulates directly in organs such as the pancreas or muscles. This is called ectopic fat. As ectopic fat accumulates, the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease increases.

Meanwhile, the results of this study were recently published in ‘Science Advances’.

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