Elevated insulin linked to increased breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women
July 10th, 2009 - 1:46 pm ICT by ANIWashington, July 10 (ANI): A new study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University has shown that elevated insulin levels in the blood could raise the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
Increased breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women has previously been linked to obesity and diabetes. Both conditions involve insulin resistance, which causes increases in circulating levels of insulin.
Since insulin is known to promote cell division and enhance breast tumour growth in animal models, the Einstein scientists reasoned that relatively high insulin levels might contribute to breast cancer risk in women.
“Up to now, only a few studies have directly investigated whether insulin levels are associated with breast cancer risk, and those studies have yielded conflicting results,” says Geoffrey Kabat, Ph.D., senior epidemiologist in the department of epidemiology and population health at Einstein and the lead author of the paper.
“Those other studies were based on just a single baseline measurement of insulin, while our study involved analyzing repeated measurements of insulin taken over several years - which provides a more accurate picture of the possible association between insulin levels and breast cancer risk,” Kabat added.
In the new study, Dr. Kabat and his colleagues analyzed data on 5,450 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative, a large multicenter study investigating the influence of a number of factors on women’s health. Most of the women had participated in the clinical trial portion of the study and provided fasting blood samples at the start of the study (i.e., at baseline) and then at years one, three and six.
The remaining women, who were enrolled in a separate “observational” component of the study, provided fasting blood samples at baseline and at year three of the study. Among all these women, 190 cases of breast cancer were identified over eight years of follow-up.
The results showed a strong association between elevated insulin levels and increased risk for breast cancer.
“This finding is potentially important because it indicates that, in postmenopausal women, insulin may be a risk factor for breast cancer that is independent of obesity,” Dr. Kabat said.
Their findings are published in the online version of the International Journal of Cancer. (ANI)
- High insulin levels enhance breast cancer risk - Jul 11, 2009
- Higher insulin levels increase breast cancer risk, says study - Jul 24, 2009
- Metabolic factors linked to risk of breast cancer - Jul 01, 2009
- Eating meat does not increase breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women - May 29, 2009
- Brain molecule may play key role in obesity and diabetes - Apr 20, 2011
- High insulin level increase breast cancer risk - Dec 31, 2008
- Smoking doesn't boost breast cancer risk in obese postmenopausal women - Apr 04, 2011
- Body fat distribution linked to a higher risk of ER-negative breast cancer - Dec 16, 2010
- High insulin levels increase breast cancer risk - Jan 10, 2009
- Breast cancer risk 'can be assessed by examining breast milk' - Apr 05, 2011
- Postmenopausal smoking boosts sex hormone levels - Sep 01, 2011
- Bone loss drugs may cut breast cancer risk - Mar 03, 2010
- Obesity-high blood sugar combo creates pregnancy risks - Apr 12, 2012
- Social isolation, stress-induced obesity 'ups breast cancer risk' - Apr 05, 2011
- Biomarkers for postmenopausal cardiovascular disease found - Jul 28, 2010
Tags: albert einstein, albert einstein college, albert einstein college of medicine, albert einstein college of medicine of yeshiva universi, animal models, blood samples, breast cancer, breast cancer risk, college of medicine, einstein college of medicine, epidemiologist, health initiative, high insulin, insulin levels, insulin resistance, kabat, multicenter study, population health, possible association, postmenopausal women