Visceral fat accumulation is associated with colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a known risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC), and emerging data suggest that this association is mediated by visceral fat rather than total body fat. However, there is a lack of studies evaluating the association between visceral fat area and the prevalence of CRC. METHODS: To investigate the relationship between visceral adiposity and prevalence of CRC, data of 497 women diagnosed with CRC and 318 apparently healthy women were analysed and data of well-balanced 191 pairs of women with CRC and healthy women matched based on propensity scores were additionally analysed. Diagnosis of CRC was confirmed by colonoscopy and histology. Metabolic parameters were assessed, along with body composition, using computed tomography. RESULTS: The median visceral fat area was significantly higher in the CRC group compared with the control group before and after matching. The prevalence of CRC increased significantly with increasing visceral fat tertiles after matching (p for trend