Glycemic Load, Sugars, Carbs all Risk Factors for Pancreatic Cancer

HONOLULU— Researchers from the cancer research center of University of Hawaii analyzed data for 162,150 participants in the Hawaii-Los Angeles Multiethnic Cohort Study to investigate associations between glycemic load, dietary carbohydrates, sucrose, fructose, total sugars, and added sugars and the risk of pancreatic cancer (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2007; 86.5:1495-1510). Dietary intake was assessed at baseline by using a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. During eight years of follow-up, 434 incident pancreatic cancer cases occurred. Researchers found glycemic load and added sugars were not significantly associated with pancreatic cancer risk. The risk increased with higher intakes of total sugars, fructose and sucrose, and the association with fructose was significant when the highest and lowest quartiles were compared. A significant association was found with fruit and juice intake, but not with soda intake. Statistical evidence of a significant interaction with body mass index was present only for sucrose intake. A comparison of the highest and lowest quartiles of sucrose intake in overweight or obese participants gave a relative risk of 1.46 (0.95–2.25; P for trend = 0.04), but the comparison was not significant in normal-weight participants. Researchers concluded high fructose and sucrose intakes may play a role in pancreatic cancer etiology. Conditions such as overweight or obesity in which a degree of insulin resistance may be present may also be important.

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