(22-03-06) Overeating and underactivity increase non-Hodgkin's lymphoma risk

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who overeat or who aren't physically active face a higher risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), according to a report by Canadian researchers in the December 15th issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

"Physical activity, obesity, and energy intake are modifiable lifestyle factors," Dr. Sai Yi Pan from Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Ottawa, told Reuters Health. "Our findings support the adoption of a healthy lifestyle to prevent the development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma."
Dr. Pan and colleagues examined the influence of recreational physical activity, obesity, and energy intake on the risk of NHL using data from Canada's National Enhanced Cancer Surveillance System. More than 1000 NHL patients and 3000 controls were involved.
Individuals with NHL tended to have higher total calorie intakes and were more likely to be obese than individuals without NHL, the authors report.
Men in the highest quartile of physical activity had a 21% lower risk of NHL than men in the lowest quartile of physical activity, the report indicates, and the most active women had a 41% lower risk than the least active women.
Obesity was associated with a 59% higher risk of NHL in men and a 36% higher risk of NHL in women, the researchers note, and men in the highest quartile of calorie intake had a 95% higher risk of NHL than men in the lowest quartile.
Total activity had the greatest effect on the risk of follicular, small lymphocytic, and other type NHL than for diffuse type NHL, the results indicate, whereas obesity-related increases in NHL risk were more commonly associated with diffuse and other type NHL.
"Our study adds one more reason" for physicians to recommend physical activity, Dr. Pan concluded. He added that he and his colleagues "plan to do further studies to explore the association of diet, vitamin and mineral supplement, and smoking with the risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma."

Source : Am J Epidemiol 2005;162:1162-1173

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