A large European study showed that people with elevated blood sugar levels are at an increased risk of developing cancer later, even when they do not have overt signs of diabetes yet.

The study was done by researchers from Umea University (Sweden) including more than 64,000 people, by giving each participant a fasting blood sugar test and a sugar challenge test. Most of them (85 - 94%) showed normal blood sugar levels in the fasting test as well as the sugar challenge test when they were enrolled.

After being followed for about 8 years in average, it was found that women in the highest blood sugar quartile in the baseline tests had 1.26 times more increased risk of developing cancer than women with the lowest blood sugar quartile.

When looking at specific cancers, both men and women with higher blood sugar were 1.7 to 2.5 times more likely to have pancreatic, endometrial, urinary tract cancers and malignant melanoma. It was also found that higher blood sugar was linked to increased breast cancer risk for women under age 49.

   (Stattin, P, et al. Diabetes Care, 2007 Mar; 30(3):561-7)

This study adds to evidence that abnormal sugar metabolism (which usually includes insulin resistance, high sugar levels and high insulin levels) can be cancer-promoting. High insulin levels, in particular, have been linked to breast, colon, and pancreatic cancer.

It certainly established a new aspect of promoting the importance of keeping a healthy blood sugar levels to avoid cancer in addition to protecting yourself against future diabetes and heart disease. Metabolic Syndrome (or Syndrome X) is the American epidemic. We all knew type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obesity as the potential risks (The Deadly Quartet). We would have to call it The Deadly Quintet adding the cancer thereon from now on.

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