Lipid biomarkers and Cancer risk - a population-based prospective cohort study in Taiwan

• Published in: Lipids in health and disease Vol. 20; no. 1; p. 133
• Main Authors: Chang, Yu-Chen, Lin, Chien-Ju, Yeh, Tzu-Lin, Tsai, Ming-Chieh, Hsu, Le-Yin, Chien, Kuo-Liong, Hsu, Hsin-Yin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 10.10.2021; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Age; Asians; Biomarkers - blood; Blood cholesterol; Blood lipids; Blood pressure; Body mass index; Cancer; cancer risk; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Cohort analysis; Cohort study; Complications and side effects; Data collection; Diabetes; Family medical history; Female; Health aspects; High density lipoprotein; Hormone replacement therapy; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Hyperlipidemia; Hypertension; Hypocholesteremia; Incidence; Interval change; Lipids; Low density lipoprotein; Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Male; Measurement; Medical diagnosis; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Obesity - blood; Population; Population studies; Population-based studies; Prospective Studies; Questionnaires; Risk Factors; Serum lipids; Signal transduction; Standard deviation; Taiwan - epidemiology; Total cholesterol; Triglycerides; Womens health; Taiwan; United States > US; Cohort study; Total cholesterol; cancer risk; Blood lipids; Interval change; Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
• ISSN: 1476-511X; 1476-511X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12944-021-01570-1

Blood lipids are essential components for cellular growth. An inverse association between serum lipid levels and risk of cancer has led to a controversy among previous studies. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to investigate the association between blood lipids change and risk of cancer incidence. A cohort of 4130 Taiwanese adults from the Taiwanese Survey on the Prevalence of Hypertension, Hyperglycemia, and Hyperlipidemia database underwent repeated examinations in 2002 and 2007. Six groups were established based on the combined baseline (lower/higher) and interval change (decreasing/stable/increasing) in plasma lipid levels. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard model was used to investigate the relationship between lipids change and all-cause cancer incidence. Two hundred and forty cancer events developed over a median follow-up of 13.4 years. Comparing these with individuals with decreasing lower-baseline lipid levels, cancer risk reduction was demonstrated in those with increasing lower-baseline total cholesterol (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27 to 0.85), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; aHR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.35 to 0.92), and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) (aHR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.31 to 0.92) levels. A decreased risk for cancer incidence also presented in participants with stable lower-baseline, decreasing and increasing higher-baseline LDL-C levels, and with decreasing and stable higher-baseline non-HDL-C levels. The interval decline in lower-baseline total cholesterol, LDL-C, and non-HDL-C levels was linked to a higher risk for all-cause cancer incidence. More attention to a potential cancer risk may be warranted for an unexplained fall in serum lipids.