Healthy Lifestyle can help Childhood Cancer Survivors Lower Metabolic Syndrome Risk

Following a healthy lifestyle can lower metabolic syndrome risk in childhood cancer survivors, a new study suggests.

The study, conducted by researchers at the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, shows that it is important for adults who had cancer in childhood to receive guidance on how to maintain healthy lifestyle.

Deaths due to childhood cancer have declined sharply in the U.S. An estimated 300,000 childhood cancer survivors are now living in the country. Health experts say that people who have fought cancer at a young age are at a higher risk of developing chronic health complications later in life.

Metabolic syndrome means that the person suffers from a group of risk factors that put him or her at a higher risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes type-2 or stroke. A combination of risk factors like high blood pressure, high level of body fat, abnormal cholesterol and glucose levels contribute to metabolic syndrome.

"Cancer survivors should not smoke. In addition, adopting a lifestyle that includes maintaining a healthy body weight, regular physical activity, and a diet that includes fruits and vegetables and that limits refined sugars, excessive alcohol, red meat, and salt has potential to prevent development of the metabolic syndrome," said one of the study authors Kirsten Ness, PhD, of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, according to a news release.

Data for the study came from 1598 childhood cancer survivors who were cancer-free for at least a decade. Participants were asked to fill questionnaires that assessed their lifestyles. The participants' responses helped researchers gauge their lifestyle habits.

In the study, participants adhering to at least four of seven recommendations issued by the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research were considered to be following healthy habits, according to a news release.

Researchers found that 31.8 percent of the participants had metabolic syndrome and around 27 percent followed guidelines on healthy living.

Females who didn't follow the lifestyle recommendations were 2.4 times more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome whereas the risk was around 2.2 times more for males.

"These findings are important because they indicate that adults who were treated for cancer as children have the opportunity to influence their own health outcomes," Ness said.

The study is published in the journal Cancer.