Metabolic syndrome boosts risk of other health issues for men

Washington, Mar 23 : In a new study, a researcher has suggested that metabolic syndrome leads to an elevated risk of many other health issues in men.

According to Stephen J. Freedland, metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders that increases one's risk for cardiovascular (CV) disease.

The syndrome is defined by 3 of 5 criteria; waist circumference greater than 102cm, high triglycerides or HDL, glucose intolerance or high BP.

He said that the metabolic syndrome increases the CV risk of death in younger men by 5pct over 10 years and at 12 years there is an increased overall risk of death of 20pct.

Usually Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) results in physiologic changes that are similar to the metabolic syndrome. However, ADT type metabolic syndrome differs in that the HDL cholesterol is increased in ADT rather than decreased as in the classic metabolic syndrome.

In case of men on ADT, there is a much greater insulin requirement to maintain an appropriate glucose level.

In the SEER analysis, ADT led to a 44pct increased risk for diabetes, a 16pct increased risk for coronary artery disease (CAD), an 11 percent increased risk for MI and a 16 percent increased risk for sudden cardiac death. The mortality risk for ADT and CAD is conflicting, but the CAD risk is increased 20 percent-160 percent.

This supports another presentation by Dr. D'Amico in that there is a survival decrease from ADT in men with CAD undergoing radiotherapy compared to radiotherapy alone.

The metabolic syndrome leads to higher insulin levels and insulin is a growth stimulus for CaP. In mice, a dietary reduction in insulin slowed tumour growth.

When put on a western diet mice was found to have 3-fold higher insulin levels, faster tumour growth and decreased survival. This indicated that a metabolic syndrome may also promote CaP progression along with other affects on CAD.

The study was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) - 2008 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium - A Multidisciplinary Approach.

ANI