Rising global burden of cancer attributable to high BMI from 2010 to 2019

• Main Authors: Tan, Darren Jun Hao, Ng, Cheng Han, Muthiah, Mark, Yong, Jie Ning, Chee, Douglas, Teng, Margaret, Wong, Zhen Yu, Zeng, Rebecca Wenling, Chin, Yip Han, Wang, Jiong-Wei, Danpanichkul, Pojsakorn, Rajaram, Ruveena Bhavani, DasGupta, Ramanuj, Suzuki, Hiroyuki, Takahashi, Hirokazu, Tamaki, Nobuharu, Dan, Yock Young, Lui, Rashid, Duseja, Ajay, Siddiqui, Mohammad Shadab, Yeoh, Khay Guan, Sanyal, Arun, Wijarnpreecha, Karn, Loomba, Rohit, Mantzoros, Christos Socrates, Huang, Daniel Q.
• Format: Article
• Published: Elsevier 2024
• Subjects: R Medicine (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/45921/; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2023.155744

Background: High body mass index (BMI) is a major risk factor for cancer development, but its impact on the global burden of cancer remains unclear. Methods: We estimated global and regional temporal trends in the burden of cancer attributable to high BMI, and the contributions of various cancer types using the framework of the Global Burden of Disease Study. Results: From 2010 to 2019, there was a 35 % increase in deaths and a 34 % increase in disability-adjusted life-years from cancers attributable to high BMI. The age-standardized death rates for cancer attributable to high BMI increased over the study period (annual percentage change APC] +0.48 %, 95 % CI 0.22 to 0.74 %). The greatest number of deaths from cancer attributable to high BMI occurred in Europe, but the fastest-growing age-standardized death rates and disability-adjusted life-years occurred in Southeast Asia. Liver cancer was the fastest-growing cause of cancer mortality (APC: 1.37 %, 95 % CI 1.25 to 1.49 %) attributable to high BMI. Conclusion: The global burden of cancer-related deaths attributable to high BMI has increased substantially from 2010 to 2019. The greatest increase in age-standardized death rates occurred in Southeast Asia, and liver cancer is the fastest-growing cause of cancer mortality attributable to high BMI. Urgent and sustained measures are required at a global and regional level to reverse these trends and slow the growing burden of cancer attributed to high BMI.