Association of lipid profile with obesity among breast cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study

The role of lipid metabolism in obesity and cancer manifestations cannot be underestimated, but whether alterations in lipid metabolism can manipulate the vasculature to promote obesity among breast cancer (BC) survivors is yet to be clearly understood. This study quantified plasma lipid and particle sizes using high-throughput proton (¹H) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and tested their associations with obesity among breast cancer (BC) survivors.

A total of 348 (225 premenopausal and 123 postmenopausal) BC survivors enrolled from five hospitals in Korea were included. We assessed thirty-four plasma lipid biomarkers using ¹H NMR, and obesity status was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m² or greater. Generalized linear and logistic regression models were applied to estimate the least-square means of BMI (kg/m²) and odds ratio (OR)s of obesity, respectively, and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI)s across plasma lipid levels.

Mean (SD) values of BMI was 23.3 (3.2) kg/m² and 90 (25.9%) had BMI of ≥ 25 kg/m². BMI levels increased with increasing total triglycerides (TG), TG in lipoproteins and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) subfractions. However, BMI levels decreased with increasing tertiles of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (C) and HDL particle size (HDL-p). Similar associations were observed in the logistic regression models. The increasing and decreasing BMI trends with TG and HDL profiles respectively were predominantly limited to premenopausal BC survivors.

Increasing levels of plasma total TG and TG in lipoproteins were associated with increasing levels of BMI among premenopausal BC survivors. High HDL-C levels and large HDL-p were inversely associated with obesity among premenopausal BC survivors. Due to the cross-sectional design of this study, longitudinal studies are necessary to examine the association between obesity and lipid profile among BC survivors.