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Glycemic index and glycemic load in endometrial cancer
Author(s) -
Augustin Livia S.A.,
Gallus Silvano,
Bosetti Cristina,
Levi Fabio,
Negri Eva,
Franceschi Silvia,
Dal Maso Luigino,
Jenkins David J.A.,
Kendall Cyril W.C.,
La Vecchia Carlo
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international journal of cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.475
H-Index - 234
eISSN - 1097-0215
pISSN - 0020-7136
DOI - 10.1002/ijc.11089
Subject(s) - endometrial cancer , medicine , glycemic load , odds ratio , body mass index , glycemic , confidence interval , glycemic index , obesity , hormone replacement therapy (female to male) , cancer , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology , gynecology , insulin , oncology , testosterone (patch)
Glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) are measures of the metabolic effects of dietary carbohydrates. The higher their value, the greater the glucose and insulin responses. Raised insulin levels are associated with endometrial cancer and with its risk factors including obesity, diabetes and hypertension. To study the role of the GI and GL we analyzed the data of two hospital‐based case–control studies on endometrial cancer conducted between 1988–98 in Italy and Switzerland, including a total of 410 women with incident, histologically confirmed endometrial cancer and 753 controls admitted for acute, non‐neoplastic diseases. A food frequency questionnaire was used to assess the subjects usual diet and to derive estimates of dietary GI and GL. The odds ratios (OR) of endometrial cancer, after adjustment for major risk factors, for the highest versus the lowest quintile of dietary GI and GL were 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.4–3.2) and 2.7 (95% CI = 1.8–4.2), respectively. The associations were stronger in older women, in those with higher body mass index and in hormone replacement therapy users. Our study supports the hypothesis of a direct association between GI and endometrial cancer risk. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.