What is metabolic Syndrome? Why are obese women at higher risk of developing gynac cancers?

Hyderabad: Women with metabolic syndrome of high blood pressure, blood sugar, excess body fat, and abnormal cholesterol have moderately at higher risk of developing gynecological cancers according to a recent research by the Indian Council of Medical Research, National Institute of Reproductive and Child Health, and M S Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bengaluru.

What is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, high sugar, obesity, excess fat in the waist and abdominal areas, and abnormal cholesterol levels.

There is a major concern raised by researchers about triglycerides, which are a type of fat in the body.

Earlier, triglycerides were found to affect the male population, but recent studies have found that women are also equally susceptible, and higher levels of triglycerides are also a factor in the development of gynecological cancers.

Metabolic syndrome observed by researchers is also a likelihood in women for developing cancer of the ovaries, endometrium, cervix, vaginal, and vulva cancer in women.

Study details

The data from 25 different studies were collated to understand the risk factors for women and the way ahead in terms of diagnosis and prevention methods.

Elevated Risk: The study indicates that women with metabolic syndrome appear to have a low to moderate susceptibility to gynecological cancers of the ovaries, uterus, and cervix.

Need for Action: Researchers emphasize the crucial need for primary prevention, which means stopping cancer before it starts. This means that the conditions that lead to metabolic syndromes must be identified and, accordingly, awareness created in the population to control the disease.

Standard Screening is Key: It is strongly recommended that women with metabolic syndrome stay up-to-date with all age-appropriate cancer screening tests.

The Role of Medication

The review also points out that some common medications used to manage metabolic syndrome, such as metformin and statins, are already known from other studies to potentially have a cancer-preventive effect.

This finding opens the door for a key question the researchers want to answer: Do the treatments that successfully manage metabolic syndrome also lower a woman’s risk of developing cancer?

Managing and treating metabolic syndrome should become an essential part of the overall plan to prevent and treat gynecological cancers.

The impact of gynecological cancers is debilitating on women, and those affected below 40 years of age suffer from mental health issues, body image problems, issues in marriages, and sexual dysfunction, which has a social impact on society.