The Combined Effects of Alcohol Consumption and Smoking on Cancer Risk by Exposure Level: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol consumption is a major risk factor for cancer, and when combined with smoking, the risk increases. Nevertheless, few studies have comprehensively evaluated the combined effects of alcohol consumption and smoking on the risk of various cancer types. Therefore, to assess these effects, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: We performed a systematic search of five literature databases, focusing on cohort and case-control studies. Considering exposure levels, we quantified the combined effects of alcohol consumption and smoking on cancer risk and assessed multiplicative interaction effects. RESULTS: Of 4,452 studies identified, 24 (4 cohort studies and 20 case-control studies) were included in the meta-analysis. We detected interaction effect of light alcohol and moderate smoking on head and neck cancer risk (relative risk [RR], 4.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.50-7.26; I² = 65%). A synergistic interaction was observed in heavy alcohol and heavy smoking group (RR, 35.24; 95% CI, 23.17-53.58; I² = 69%). In more detailed cancer types, the interaction effect of heavy alcohol and heavy smoking was noticeable on oral (RR, 36.42; 95% CI, 24.62-53.87; I² = 46%) and laryngeal (RR, 38.75; 95% CI, 19.25-78.01; I² = 69%) cancer risk. CONCLUSION: Our study provided a comprehensive summary of the combined effects of alcohol consumption and smoking on cancers. As their consumption increased, the synergy effect became more pronounced, and the synergy effect was evident especially for head and neck cancer. These findings provide additional evidence for the combined effect of alcohol and smoking in alcohol guidelines for cancer prevention.

Handgrip strength thresholds associated with metabolic syndrome risk in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives: Certain studies have reported that handgrip strength (HGS) is associated with metabolic health risks in children and adolescents, and some studies have suggested HGS thresholds for identifying poor metabolic health. Therefore, we aimed to determine the HGS thresholds associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children and adolescents through a systematic review. Methods: We searched 3 electronic databases from their inception until October 2023 to identify original papers that focused on children and adolescents and assessed their risks of MetS according to specific HGS values. Studies were selected for inclusion through a planned screening process based on specific criteria. The Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies v2 (QUADAS-2) was used to evaluate quality, and a meta-analysis was performed using the diagmeta R package to suggest the optimal thresholds. Results: From the search, 8 studies were selected for this systematic review. For detecting MetS risk, the optimal threshold for HGS (defined as relative HGS by adjusting for body mass) was found to be 0.422, with a sensitivity of 76.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 64.0% to 85.8%) and a specificity of 62.9% (95% CI, 56.9% to 68.5%). The stratification analysis by sex resulted in optimal thresholds of 0.416 for boys and 0.376 for girls. Additionally, when the data were stratified by age, the thresholds were 0.356 for children and 0.416 for adolescents. Conclusion: : Our results provide practical information for detecting high-risk groups and encouraging strength-related activities that may reduce the risk of MetS in children and adolescents.

Metabolic complications of obesity in children and adolescents.

The global prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is affecting not only school-aged children but also preschoolers. Early-onset obesity, along with a higher risk of metabolic complications, may contribute to a lower age of onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD). As metabolic diseases such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) observed in adulthood are increasingly recognized in the pediatric population, there is an emphasis on moving disease susceptibility assessment from adulthood to childhood for early detection. Unlike adults, there is a lack of consensus in the definition of metabolic diseases in children. In response to this, various indicators such as pediatric simple metabolic syndrome score (PsiMS), continuous metabolic syndrome score (cMetS), single point insulin sensitivity estimator (SPISE), and fatty liver index (FLI) have been proposed in several studies. These indicators may help explain and early detect metabolic complications associated with pediatric obesity, although more validity studies are needed. Meanwhile, obesity assessment is shifting its perspective from visual obesity to metabolic health and body composition considerations to fill the gap in health impact assessment. Sarcopenic obesity, defined as muscle-to-fat ratio (MFR), has been proposed in pediatric populations and has also been found to be associated with metabolic health in children and adolescents. The National health screening program for children in Korea has expanded but still faces limitations in laboratory testing. These tests facilitate timely intervention by identifying high-risk groups for metabolic complications. Early detection and intervention through comprehensive health screening are critical to mitigate long-term complications of childhood obesity.

Cancer risk based on alcohol consumption levels: a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Alcohol consumption is a well-established risk factor for cancer. Despite extensive research into the relationship between alcohol consumption and cancer risk, the effect of light alcohol consumption on cancer risk remains a topic of debate. To contribute to this discourse, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: Our systematic review aimed to investigate the associations between different levels of alcohol consumption and the risk of several cancer types. We focused on analyzing prospective associations using data from 139 cohort studies. Among them, 106 studies were included in the meta-analysis after a quantitative synthesis. RESULTS: Our analysis did not find a significant association between light alcohol consumption and all-cause cancer risk (relative risk, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.99 to 1.04), but we observed a dose-response relationship. Light alcohol consumption was significantly associated with higher risks of esophageal, colorectal, and breast cancers. Light to moderate drinking was associated with elevated risks of esophageal, colorectal, laryngeal, and breast cancers. Heavy drinking was also found to contribute to the risk of stomach, liver, pancreas, and prostate cancers, thereby increasing the risk of almost all types of cancer. Additionally, females generally had lower cancer risks compared to males. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight that cancer risks extend beyond heavy alcohol consumption to include light alcohol consumption as well. These findings suggest that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption associated with cancer risk. Our results underscore the importance of public health interventions addressing alcohol consumption to mitigate cancer risks.

The association between urinary cotinine level and metabolic syndrome profiles among adolescents: findings from the Ewha Birth and growth study.

BACKGROUND: Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among adolescents who are still developing can negatively affect their physical and psychological health, including metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between exposure to SHS and MetS in adolescence has not been evaluated. METHODS: A total of 240 subjects aged 13-15 years who were followed up in the Ewha Birth and Growth Study were included in this study. Using the urinary cotinine level, the participants' exposure to SHS was divided into tertiles, and the continuous MetS score (cMetS) and its components were compared among the three groups using a generalized linear model and trend analysis. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. We adjusted for several confounding variables including sex, father's education level, father's current alcohol consumption status, moderate physical activity, and overweight status. RESULTS: The association between cMetS and the urinary cotinine level was not significant. However, the higher the urinary cotinine level, the lower the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level. In particular, the significance of the HDL-C level was maintained after adjusting for covariates. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports an association between SHS exposure and the components of MetS in adolescents aged 13-15 years, and it suggests the need to address SHS exposure in adolescents to reduce the cardiovascular risk in later life.

The Effect of Childhood Obesity or Sarcopenic Obesity on Metabolic Syndrome Risk in Adolescence: The Ewha Birth and Growth Study.

The prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the pediatric population has increased globally. We evaluated the impact of childhood obesity and sarcopenic obesity on the risk of MetS in adolescence using the Ewha Birth and Growth Cohort study data. In this study, we analyzed data from 227 participants who were followed up at the ages of 7-9 and 13-15 years. Overweight and obesity were defined as a body mass index of the 85th percentile or higher based on national growth charts, and sarcopenic obesity was defined using body composition data. Metabolic diseases in adolescence were identified by calculating the pediatric simple metabolic syndrome score (PsiMS), continuous metabolic syndrome score (cMetS), and single-point insulin sensitivity estimator (SPISE) as MetS indices. The prevalence of overweight was approximately 15% at both 7-9 and 13-15 years old, and that of sarcopenic obesity (7-9 years old) was 19.5%. Boys aged 13-15 years had a significantly larger waist circumference (WC) and higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) than girls. The MetS indices (PsiMS, cMetS, and SPISE) showed no significant differences by gender. Overweight and sarcopenic obese people have a higher overall risk of MetS components than normal people. The overweight group had a significantly higher prevalence of PsiMS and cMetS than the normal group, while the SPISE was significantly lower and the MetS indicator was worse in the overweight group than in the normal group. Similar results were obtained in the group with sarcopenic obesity. Both overweight and sarcopenic obesity remained significantly associated with MetS indicators, even after adjusting for covariates. Furthermore, metabolic health assessed by the cMetS in adolescence was affected not only by childhood overweight but also by adolescence, which showed an interaction effect. The results of this study emphasize the importance and need for early detection of childhood obesity and effective public health interventions.