Cholesterol and breast cancer
Researchers from Duke University, working under the guidance of Dr. Donald P. McDonnell, have identified a relationship between high cholesterol levels in the blood and the risk of breast cancer.
The results of a number of recent population studies indicate the existence of an associative relationship between obesity and breast cancer. Last year, experiments conducted on a mouse model showed that lowering the level of cholesterol in the blood or certain manipulations over its metabolism can reduce the risk of developing this disease.
The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of a database of more than a million patients collected throughout the UK between 2000 and 2013. This unique clinical database belongs to the Department of Algorithm of Combined Diseases, Associations, duration of treatment in the clinic and mortality at Aston University.
The database contained information about 664,159 women, 22,938 of whom were diagnosed with hyperlipidemia, and 9,312 with breast cancer. At the same time, 530 women with hyperlipidemia developed breast cancer.
Processing of these data using a statistical model revealed an association according to which hyperlipidemia increases the risk of developing breast cancer by 1.64 times.
The authors note that the results obtained are preliminary. At the same time, the study was conducted according to observational data, and based on its results, it is impossible to draw conclusions that high cholesterol is the cause of breast cancer. However, the severity and reliability of the correlation indicates the need for further research. If the relationship between the level of cholesterol in the blood and the risk of developing the disease is confirmed, the next stage of the work will be to find out the possibility of using cholesterol-lowering drugs of the statin group for its prevention.
The results of the study were presented on July 4 at the Congress New Achievements of Cardiovascular Biology 2014 (Frontiers in CardioVascular Biology), held in Barcelona, Spain.
The article by E. R. Nelson et al. 27-Hydroxycholesterol Links Hypercholesterolemia and Breast Cancer Pathophysiology is published in the journal Science.
Evgeniya Ryabtseva
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the European Society of Cardiology:
Association found between high cholesterol and breast cancer.
08.07.2014