Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance, and Age Are Associated with an increased Risk of Colorectal Cancer Among Yemeni Subjects
Background and objective: Colorectal cancer (CRC) and obesity are major global public health challenges. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most common malignancies worldwide, and growing evidence suggests that obesity contributes to the initiation and progression of colorectal cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the association between CRC and age, metabolic syndrome (MetS) parameters, and insulin resistance.
Method: A case-control study was conducted between 2023 and 2025 from the endoscopy units of the Replication Teaching Hospital Authority and USTH hospital, including 214 Yemeni adults aged 20 to 90 years. The association between CRC and age, MetS parameters, and insulin resistance was analyzed using binary logistic regression analysis.
Results: CRC patients had a significantly higher age compared to controls. Age, fasting blood sugar (FBS), and HOMA-IR were positively correlated with CRC (r = 0.49, p < 0.001; r = 0.24, p = 0.003; and r = 0.19, p = 0.02, respectively), whereas high-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed a significant negative correlation (r = -0.30, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that older age, elevated FBS, increased HOMA-IR, and reduced HDL-C were independent risk factors for CRC (OR = 5.7, 95% CI: 2.7–11.9, p < 0.001; OR = 4.6, 95% CI: 1.5–13.5, p = 0.006; OR = 2.5, 95% CI: 1.1–5.8, p = 0.04; and OR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.2–8.1, p = 0.016, respectively).
Conclusion: This study demonstrates that age, elevated blood glucose, increased HOMA-IR, and reduced HDL-cholesterol are significantly associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) and may contribute to its development, particularly in older individuals.
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