Dietary carbohydrates, glycemic index, glycemic load, and endometrial cancer risk within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort

Am J Epidemiol. 2007 Oct 15;166(8):912-23. doi: 10.1093/aje/kwm161. Epub 2007 Aug 1.

Abstract

The associations of dietary total carbohydrates, overall glycemic index, total dietary glycemic load, total sugars, total starch, and total fiber with endometrial cancer risk were analyzed among 288,428 women in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort (1992-2004), including 710 incident cases diagnosed during a mean 6.4 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate relative risks and 95% confidence intervals. There were no statistically significant associations with endometrial cancer risk for increasing quartile intakes of any of the exposure variables. However, in continuous models calibrated by using 24-hour recall values, the multivariable relative risks were 1.61 (95% confidence interval: 1.06, 2.45) per 100 g/day of total carbohydrates, 1.40 (95% confidence interval: 0.99, 1.99) per 50 units/day of total dietary glycemic load, and 1.36 (95% confidence interval: 1.05, 1.76) per 50 g/day of total sugars. These associations were stronger among women who had never used postmenopausal hormone therapy compared with ever users (total carbohydrates p(heterogeneity) = 0.04). Data suggest no association of overall glycemic index, total starch, and total fiber with risk, and a possible modest positive association of total carbohydrates, total dietary glycemic load, and total sugars with risk, particularly among never users of hormone replacement therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cohort Studies
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Diet Surveys
  • Dietary Carbohydrates* / adverse effects
  • Dietary Fiber
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / etiology*
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • European Union / statistics & numerical data
  • Feeding Behavior
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glycemic Index*
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy / adverse effects
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Nutrition Assessment
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Starch
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Substances

  • Dietary Carbohydrates
  • Dietary Fiber
  • Starch