High Blood Pressure, Other Cardiac Risk Factors Affect Breast Cancer Outcomes

People with metabolic syndrome when diagnosed with breast cancer may have a higher risk of recurrence or death than people without the syndrome, according to a study.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors linked to heart problems and other diseases, including diabetes. The risk factors are high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess fat around the waist, high triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol. If you have three of the five risk factors, you’re considered to have metabolic syndrome.

The study was a meta-analysis, which means the researchers reviewed and analyzed the results of a number of earlier studies. In this case, the researchers reviewed 17 studies from around the world that included more than 42,000 people diagnosed with breast cancer.

The analysis found that metabolic syndrome at the time of breast cancer diagnosis was linked to:

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  a 69% higher risk of recurrence (breast cancer coming back)

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  nearly twice the risk of dying from breast cancer

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  57% shorter disease-free survival (how long people live without the cancer coming back)

Currently, metabolic screening isn’t recommended for breast cancer survivors. The researchers pointed out that regularly screening survivors for high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol would allow those conditions to be detected and treated early, which could improve breast cancer outcomes.