METABOLIC syndrome was associated with significantly higher mortality among patients with breast or prostate cancer, according to a large retrospective analysis of more than 200,000 older adults.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions, including central obesity, high blood pressure, elevated blood glucose, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels, that together increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health complications.
Researchers examined data from the SEER Medicare database to investigate the impact of metabolic syndrome on survival outcomes in patients diagnosed with breast or prostate cancer between 2008 and 2019.
The analysis included 104,599 patients with breast cancer and 96,005 patients with prostate cancer who maintained continuous Medicare coverage during the study period.
Metabolic syndrome was identified in 28% of patients with breast cancer and 31% of patients with prostate cancer.
Most participants had localised or regional disease at diagnosis, while the median age was 74 years in the breast cancer cohort and 73 years in the prostate cancer cohort.
The investigators assessed mortality outcomes beginning 12 months after cancer diagnosis and adjusted for demographic, clinical, and regional variables using multivariable Cox regression models.
Patients with metabolic syndrome experienced a markedly higher risk of death from any cause in both cancer groups.
Among patients with breast cancer, metabolic syndrome was associated with increased overall mortality. In patients with prostate cancer, the association was similarly strong.
The analysis also demonstrated higher cancer specific mortality among patients with metabolic syndrome. For breast cancer, the hazard ratio was 1.30, while for prostate cancer it was 1.32.
Beyond cancer related deaths, metabolic syndrome was strongly associated with mortality from cardiovascular disease and liver failure. Cardiovascular specific mortality was more than doubled in both cohorts.
Patients with metabolic syndrome also faced substantially higher liver-failure-specific mortality. With the association being strongest in the prostate cancer cohort.
The researchers concluded that metabolic syndrome was consistently associated with poorer survival outcomes in both cancers and suggested that therapeutic and lifestyle interventions targeting metabolic health may help reduce mortality risk in affected patients.
Reference
Hwang JP et al. Metabolic syndrome is associated with increased mortality in patients with breast or prostate cancer. Sci Rep. 2026;DOI:10.1038/s41598-026-58830-2
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