(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- The risk of cancer in diabetics may be connected to cholesterol levels.
Researchers from Hong Kong looked at 6,107 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. They found LDL cholesterol levels below 2.80 mmol/L and at levels of at least 3.90 mmol/L were both associated with a much higher risk of cancer among patients who did not take statins.
There has been an increase in data suggesting an association between type 2 diabetes and a higher risk of breast, colorectal, pancreatic and liver cancers. The study shows low LDL was linked to cancers of digestive organs, genital and urinary organs, lymphatic and blood tissues as well as other areas. Patients with an LDL cholesterol level above 3.80 mmol/L were more at risk of oral, digestive, bone, skin, connective tissue, breast and other cancers.
The authors suggest using these levels as risk markers to "help clinicians to assess their patients more fully and thus to prevent premature deaths in patients who have high risk."
SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2008;179:427-37
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