"Koreans' Frequent Stomach Cancer Has a Reason"..."Don't Take Metabolic Syndrome Lightly"

Seoul National University College of Medicine Research Team "Related to Metabolic Syndrome"

A study has found that the frequent occurrence of gastric cancer among Koreans is related to metabolic syndrome.

The research team from the Department of Preventive Medicine at Seoul National University College of Medicine (Professor Kang Daehee, PhD candidate Hwang Dan) tracked 108,397 individuals aged 40 to 69 who participated in the '2004?2013 Urban-based Epidemiological Study' for an average of 9.1 years. On the 18th, they announced that a correlation between metabolic syndrome and the incidence of gastric cancer was observed. This was published in the latest issue of the international journal Gastric Cancer.

Metabolic syndrome is defined as having three or more abnormal values among the following: waist circumference (men 90 cm, women 85 cm or more), fasting blood glucose (100 mg/dL or higher), blood pressure (systolic 130/diastolic 85 mmHg or higher), triglycerides (150 mg/dL or higher), and high-density cholesterol (men below 40 mg/dL, women below 50 mg/dL).

Modern people have seen a significant increase in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome due to lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits. Among the elderly population aged 65 and older in Korea, one in two belongs to the metabolic syndrome group.

During the study period, 759 people (0.7%) developed gastric cancer. The research team examined the impact of metabolic syndrome on the group that developed gastric cancer and the control group that did not. It was estimated that people with metabolic syndrome had a 26% higher risk of developing gastric cancer compared to those without metabolic syndrome.

Professor Kang Daehee stated, "The incidence rate of gastric cancer in Koreans is the third highest in the world after Japan and Mongolia, so it is necessary to identify high-risk groups in advance or intervene in diseases and conditions that require early management. However, evidence for this has been insufficient until now." He added, "This large-scale population study is meaningful in that it found evidence of the association between metabolic syndrome and the occurrence of gastric cancer."

In particular, the risk of gastric cancer increased as the number of metabolic syndrome components increased. Among these, the research team analyzed that the combined effect of smoking and obesity further increased the risk of gastric cancer.

The research team advised that if diagnosed with metabolic syndrome during a health checkup, it should not be taken lightly, and dietary habits should be changed as soon as possible.

Professor Kang added, "Various studies so far have confirmed that the factors causing metabolic diseases and cancer mostly originate from unhealthy lifestyle habits. Since leaving metabolic syndrome untreated appears to increase the risk of cancer due to multiple factors, efforts to overcome metabolic syndrome through consultation and treatment with medical professionals, regular physical activity, and changes in eating habits are essential."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.