Obesity Greatly Raises Endometrial Cancer Risk
MONDAY, June 22 (HealthDay News) -- Obesity is already linked to heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, but new research finds those extra pounds can also significantly increase a woman's risk of developing endometrial cancer, especially if she experiences early menopause.
Published in the July issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, the study found that women with a body-mass index (BMI) greater than 35 who were under 45 at the time of their last menstrual period had a 22 times higher risk of developing endometrial cancers than their normal-weight peers.
"In this young population, the risk of endometrial cancer increased dramatically if they had a BMI greater than 25," said study author Cheryll C. Thomas, an epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Body-mass index is a measurement used to estimate one's body fat. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal, according to the CDC. Twenty-five to 29.9 is overweight, and anything 30 or over is considered obese.
Although obesity is a known risk factor for endometrial cancer in pre-menopausal and postmenopausal women, little research has focused on younger women, according to background information in the current study.
Add A New Comment
Add A New CommentComments
There are no comments yet. Be the first to get the conversation started.