New research highlights that high blood glucose levels elevate the risk of colorectal cancer, particularly in younger adults, urging the need for tighter glucose control to combat rising cancer rates. Study: Associations between blood glucose and early- and late-onset colorectal cancer: evidence from two prospective cohorts and Mendelian randomization analyses . Image Credit: Tatiana Shepeleva / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Center , researchers in China investigated the potential associations between blood glucose levels and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) of early-onset (EOCRC) and late-onset (LOCRC) types.
They found that elevated blood glucose levels were associated with an increased risk of CRC, with a 61% higher risk for EOCRC in the UK Biobank cohort, compared to a 14% increase for LOCRC. The association in the Kailuan cohort was 65% higher for EOCRC but was not statistically significant due to the smaller sample size. No evidence of non-linear associations was observed.
Background Previous studies have explored blood glucose levels and CRC risk, but findings remain inconsistent due to small sample sizes and study design limitations. These limitations hinder understanding of the potentially non-linear effects of blood glucose on CRC risk, particularly EOCRC. CRC remains a leading global health concern, with over 1.
9 million new cases and nearly 935,000 deaths in 2020. While overall CRC incidence has decreased due to .
