Association between metabolic syndrome and breast cancer

Metabolic syndrome is a set of risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In Mexico, its prevalence has been reported up to 49.8%, significantly higher than in other countries. In the last 30 years there has been an increase in breast cancer incidence in Mexico, becoming the most frequent and deadly neoplasm in 2018. Since the late 1990s, several observational studies have identified an association between metabolic syndrome and an increased risk of breast cancer. At least 3 interrelated mechanisms that explain the risk increase of cancer associated with metabolic syndrome are postulated: the increase in estrogen levels derived from adipose tissue, hyperinsulinemia and its anabolic effect on epithelial cells and the endocrine effect of abdominal fat. The components of metabolic syndrome associated with an increased risk of breast cancer are: type 2 diabetes with a relative risk of 1.27 (95% CI: 1.16-1.39), obesity in postmenopausal women with a relative risk of 1.39 (95% CI: 1.14-1.70) and low HDL cholesterol levels have demonstrated an increased risk.