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Metabolic disorders such as obesity, high blood pressure and non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases have been directly linked to an increased risk of developing bowel cancer, warn Flinders University researchers.

Bowel, or colorectal, cancer is the second deadliest and fourth most common type of newly diagnosed cancer in Australia with more than 15,000 Australians told they have bowel cancer each year (299 a week), including 1,716 people under the age of 50.

“As the global incidence of bowel cancer continues to rise, especially in younger adults, our findings highlight the urgent need for ongoing research to inform preventive strategies and health interventions aimed at reducing the terrible burden of this disease,” says lead author of a new study and Ph.D. student, Meseret Molla.

The research points to a growing concern that metabolic syndrome—a cluster of risk factors that together increase a person’s risk of stroke, heart disease and type 2 diabetes—can also cause cancer.

“We found metabolic risk factors that are the hallmark of metabolic syndrome such as obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and low levels of ‘good’ cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were consistently linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer,” says senior researcher, Dr. Molla Wassie from Flinders University.

The study is published in the journal Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology.

Metabolic syndrome, which includes obesity, high blood pressure, high blood triglycerides or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and insulin resistance, is increasingly common in Australia and affects more than 35% of Australian adults, which is a higher rate than diabetes.

Researchers reviewed data from 49 systematic reviews and meta-analysis to determine the association between metabolic health conditions, including metabolic syndrome and the risk of bowel cancer.

“Our study supports the assertion that metabolic health conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance and high blood pressure put people at a higher risk of bowel cancer,” says Molla.

“Importantly, we found that there is a need to address other health issues and that providing a more holistic approach is required for the prevention of bowel cancer in the population regardless of their age and gender.

“While we encourage the uptake of the bowel cancer screening test, we’d also like to see people checking up on their own metabolic health.

“A simple annual blood test with your GP could flag some potential markers for future risk of bowel disease, such as high cholesterol, before they develop into something more onerous.

“In the future, we’d like to see prevention and control of metabolic health conditions used in conjunction with the screening program to improve bowel cancer outcomes,” he adds.