Metabolic syndrome can increase your risk of cancer

You’ve probably heard the old song, “Leg bone’s connected to the knee bone/ Knee bone’s connected to the thigh bone.” Well, some connections in the body aren’t so obvious.

According to a study of more than 44,000 patients, your risk of developing cancer over the next 10 years jumps by 30% if you have metabolic syndrome. It’s diagnosed if you have any three of these conditions: high blood pressure, low levels of good HDL cholesterol, elevated triglycerides, high blood sugar and a large waistline.

The study also found that folks with metabolic syndrome and high levels of inflammation associated with C-reactive protein are specifically at risk for breast, endometrial, colon, rectal and liver cancers.

While we’ve known that metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes, this metabolic-syndrome-cancer-connection is a new insight. (Previous studies have linked high blood pressure alone with an increased risk of some cancers.)

To avoid or reverse metabolic syndrome, step 1 is achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. That can lower your blood pressure, stabilize blood sugar, reduce inflammation and help lower triglycerides and lousy LDL cholesterol. Eliminate highly processed foods and increase the amount of walking and strength-building exercises that you get. The newest weight-loss medications such as Wegovy and Zepbound may also be helpful. Other important steps: stress management, healthy sleep habits, and quitting and/or avoiding smoke from cigarettes and vapes.

Learn all about how to adopt those healthy habits in Dr. Mike’s free newsletter at Longevityplaybook.com and Dr. Oz’s blog at iHerb.com.