Obesity Linked to Higher Risk of Brain Tumour

Lisa Franchi September 21, 2015

Being obese may increase an individual’s chance of developing a brain tumour called a meningioma by 50 per cent - new research revealed.

The study looked at the two most common types of brain tumours, meningioma and gliomas, which together account for about 70 per cent of cases among the 120 known types of brain tumours.

Meningiomas arise from the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. Gliomas arise from cells in the brain and nervous system called glial cells, which are not neurons, but provide support and protection for neurons.

Fortunately, doctors are able to treat meningioma successfully, and the five-year survival rate is about 65 per cent. Meanwhile, gliomas tend to be more aggressive, in which five-year survival rate is only about 10 per cent.

Why obesity may be associated with meningiomas but not gliomas is not clear, says Gundula Behrens, a researcher at the University of Regensburg in Regensburg, Germany and a co-leader of the study.

The researchers also found that exercise was associated with a reduced risk of meningioma. In their study, people who engaged in the greatest amount of physical activity were 27 per cent less likely to have a meningioma than those who did the least amount of activity, independent of whether they were obese.

The current study involved a meta-analysis of 13 previous studies which included over 6,000 people with brain tumours. While it shows a strong link between brain tumour and obesity, it does not prove that obesity causes brain tumours.

"There are several biological mechanisms potentially linking obesity to cancer risk, including increased levels of oestrogen, insulin and pro-inflammatory cytokines," which are proteins involved in controlling the immune system,” says Behrens.

Other primary risk factors include advanced age and being female. Women are twice as likely as men to develop a meningioma.

The findings were published in the journal Neurology.

Source of this article: This Type Of Brain Tumour Is More Likely To Strike Obese People