Insulin Resistance and Cancer-Specific and All-Cause Mortality in Postmenopausal Women: The Women’s Health Initiative
Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Insulin resistance has been proposed as a mediator of the increased cancer incidence and mortality associated with obesity. However, prior studies included limited cancer deaths and had inconsistent findings. Therefore, we evaluated insulin resistance and cancer-specific and all-cause mortality in postmenopausal women participating in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). METHODS: Eligible were a subsample of 22 837 WHI participants aged 50-79 years enrolled at 40 US clinical centers from 1993 to 1998 who had baseline fasting glucose and insulin levels. Baseline insulin resistance was measured by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Cancers were verified by central medical record review and deaths verified by medical record and death certificate review enhanced by National Death Index queries. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: During a median of 18.9 years of follow-up, 1820 cancer deaths and 7415 total deaths occurred. Higher HOMA-IR quartile was associated with higher cancer-specific mortality (Q4 vs Q1, HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.09 to 1.47; Ptrend = .003) and all-cause mortality (Q4 vs Q1, HR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.51 to 1.76; Ptrend < .001). A sensitivity analysis for diabetes status did not change findings. Among women with body mass index less than 25 kg/m2, higher HOMA-IR quartile was associated with higher cancer mortality (Fine and Gray, P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: High insulin resistance, as measured by HOMA-IR, identifies postmenopausal women at higher risk for cancer-specific and all-cause mortality who could potentially benefit from early intervention.
DOI: 10.1093/jnci/djz069
Institutions: The Lundquist Institute, Harbor–UCLA Medical Center, City Of Hope National Medical Center, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Emory University, Atlanta VA Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Northwell Health, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Sulaiman Al Rajhi Colleges, University of California San Diego, Umm al-Qura University, Stanford Medicine, Stanford University
Language: English
Topic: Cancer Risks and Factors
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funders: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, American Association for Cancer Research, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Emory University, State University of New York, City of Hope, Northwell Health, Academy of Finland, National Institutes of Health, School of Medicine, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Emory University, University of California, San Diego, University at Buffalo, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Awards: G109231058, G1107292973, G1353405186, G156924709, G1593340546, G206718646, G2253702613, G2295046671, G2417273319, G2547046739, G257474614, G2852769941, G3544793024, G3642616392, G4216744017, G4281851297, COORDINATING CENTER FOR WOMEN'S HEALTH INITIATIVE, G4321061599, G4560602636, G484043965, G4940723635, G5183277930, G530368906, G532295152, G555506801, G603760282, G6464247198, G6928815926, G7066869570, G7071300326, G7272550893, G7323080267, G7582705761, G772794905, G8780700017, G8934942062, G999174792
OpenAlex ID: W2942450319