Diabetes Could Raise Risk Of Cancer
diabetes and cancer
According to a new research presented by the National Cancer Institute people with diabetes may be at an increased risk of developing cancer and a variety of other diseases. The research tracked well over 500,000 diabetic women and men between the ages of 50 and 71 years for a period of 11 years. The results supported an earlier study that was conducted which suggested that those with type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of 25% when it comes to dying from cancer. The same group of people is also two times more likely to die from heart disease.
However, what is interesting to note is that diabetic men have a lower chance of developing prostate cancer. What researchers believe is that this may have something to do with low rates of testosterone in those suffering from the disease.
What needs to be mentioned at this juncture is that having diabetes could still raise the risk of diabetics developing other forms of cancer. For instance, both sexes face a higher risk of developing liver, colon and rectal cancers. In men, the chances of developing kidney and pancreatic cancers are higher, whereas in women the same is true when it comes to developing anal, stomach and endometrial cancer.
While the debate as to whether diabetes does exclusively cause cancer or not is sure to rage on, the research does suggest that it is vital to control diabetes. It is widely accepted that a change in one’s lifestyle needs to be pursued when it comes to controlling the disease.
One of the main things to change would be the diet where fruits and vegetables need to be incorporated while refined foods are done away with. Leading an active lifestyle instead of a sedentary one will also assure long-term health and well being.
Tags:colon cancer, diabetes and cancer, liver cancer, rectal cancer, type 2 diabetes