Today is World Diabetes Day and it comes at a time when the US rate of diabetes and those at risk for the disease are higher then ever before. Most are cases of type 2 diabetes, which brings numerous challenges in itself. Many are not aware that this disease also brings an increased risk of several cancers. For those at risk, you can lower it.
A paper back in 2010 found that people with type 2 diabetes are are at twice the increased risk of developing liver, pancreas and endometrium cancers, when compared to those without diabetes. Increased risk is smaller but still evident for cancers of the colon/rectum, post-menopausal breast and bladder.
A June report released by the government show how many men and women face these risks:
– about 1 in 10 US adults have diabetes
– about 1 in 3 are at risk for developing it
– over 1 in 4 adults with diabetes are undiagnosed
The connection between cancers and type 2 diabetes appears to be – in part – due to risk factors shared by both diseases, such as obesity, poor diet and being inactive. The positive is that people can do something about these.
Eating healthy, being active, and getting to then staying a healthy weight can help people with pre-diabetes reduce the risk of many cancers and type 2 diabetes. For those with diabetes, a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of cancers and improve management of the disease.
If you are at risk of developing or have diabetes, here, our Nutrition Advisor and expert in this area talks about the cancer-diabetes connections and steps you can take.