INCREASED RISK OF KIDNEY CANCER
Obesity Causes Increased Risk of Kidney Cancer, Kidney Stones, and Stroke
(NaturalNews) Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or
greater. BMI is a ratio determined by weight and height. With a large
percentage of Americans classified as being obese, research is showing
the effects extra weight and obesity have on a person's overall health.
Recent studies show that obese people have an increased risk of
developing common kidney cancer, kidney stones, and an increased risk of
having a stroke.
A study involving 1,640 participants studied
the effects of weight on kidney cancer. The average age of patients was
62 and all participants had kidney tumors. The study showed that
patients with a BMI of 30 or higher were 48% more likely to develop
clear-cell renal cell cancer (RCC). With every 1 point increase in BMI,
obese patients increased their odds of getting kidney cancer by 4%.
Out
of all the participants, 67% of the obese patients had kidney cancer
compared to 57% of non-obese patients. Researchers do not know why there
is a link between obesity and kidney cancer. Researchers are looking
into a secondary link involving diabetes, hypertension, hormonal
changes, and decreased immune function.
A recent study shows that
obesity increases the risk of developing kidney stones. Kidney stones
are solidified deposits of minerals that are very painful when passing
through the urethra. Researchers studied more than 95,000 medical
records and 3,257 people had kidney stones in a 4 year period. They
found that 1 in 40 people at normal weight or overweight experienced
kidney stones compared to 1 in 20 obese people.
Researchers at
Johns Hopkins University are not clear as to the exact link between
obesity and kidney stones. However, they theorize that perhaps people
who are obese have different levels of substances in their blood that
lead to kidney stones.
Another recent study shows that people who
are obese have an increased risk of suffering from a stroke. The study
included 13,549 middle-aged participants. Researchers looked at BMI and
waist circumference. They found that three factors highly influenced the
development of a stroke: sex, ethnicity, and weight. The study found
that obesity leads to diabetes and hypertension, which then increases
the likelihood of a stroke.
These studies provide a closer look
at obesity and its impact on health. Although none of the studies
conclude a definite cause-effect relationship, the link is definitely
there. Obesity has a negative impact on health and people with a BMI of
30 or higher need to take action to reduce their weight to improve their
health.
Sources
Edelson, E. (2010). As obesity increases, so does stroke risk. Retrieved January 25, 2010 from http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20100122/hl_hsn/asobesityincreasessodoess...
Obesity linked to higher risk of kidney stones. Retrieved January 25, 2010 from http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100118/hl_nm/us_kidney_stones
Obesity tied to common kidney cancer. Retrieved January 25, 2010 from http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20100123/hl_hsn/obesitytiedtocommonkidney...
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