A link between type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer may exist among men
A new study in Gastroenterology explains an association exists between type II diabetes mellitus and colorectal cancer among men, but not among women.
Type II diabetes affected about 171 million people worldwide in the year 2000. By the year 2030, experts estimate nearly 366 million people will have type II diabetes. Diet and lack of physical activity, along with obesity, are known risk factors that cause colorectal cancer. Hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia have been found to show some correlation between type II diabetes and CRC.
The study shows some relation between type II diabetes and colorectal cancer risk in men, but also explains insulin as a small risk factor for colorectal cancer in men who have type II diabetes.
Additional preventative measures, as explained by experts, include not smoking, losing additional body fat, and performing regular exercise.
The final study included more than 73,000 men and nearly 82,000 women. By 2007, 1,567 men (227 having type II diabetes) and 1,242 women (108 having type II diabetes) had colon or rectal cancer diagnoses.
For men, having type II diabetes increased their risk of having CRC when compared to men who did not have type II diabetes. The risk of having colorectal cancer was higher for all participants who had type II diabetes whether or not insulin was used by them.
However, insulin use and type II diabetes did not seem to be associated with any CRC risk for women. This finding helps to support that the association between type II diabetes and colorectal cancer may be more prominent among men than women. Also, it may allude to the fact that those with a family history of CRC experience higher risks as well.
