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Aerobic fitness in late adolescence and the risk of cancer and cancer-associated mortality in adulthood : A prospective nationwide study of 1.2 million Swedish men

Högström, G. LU ; Ohlsson, H. LU ; Crump, C. LU ; Sundquist, J. LU and Sundquist, K. LU (2019) In Cancer Epidemiology 59. p.58-63
Abstract

Background: The incidence of cancer has steadily risen. It is important to identify modifiable predictors in early life that may decrease cancer risks and mortality. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between aerobic fitness in adolescence and the subsequent risk of cancer and cancer-associated mortality. Methods: The study included 1 185 439 Swedish men born between 1950 and 1980 that participated in the military conscription (mean age = 18 years). The results from the aerobic fitness test (Wmax) was linked to the risk of cancer and cancer-associated mortality during a 40-years’ follow-up using Cox proportional hazards models. A co-sibling design was employed to take familial factors into account.... (More)

Background: The incidence of cancer has steadily risen. It is important to identify modifiable predictors in early life that may decrease cancer risks and mortality. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between aerobic fitness in adolescence and the subsequent risk of cancer and cancer-associated mortality. Methods: The study included 1 185 439 Swedish men born between 1950 and 1980 that participated in the military conscription (mean age = 18 years). The results from the aerobic fitness test (Wmax) was linked to the risk of cancer and cancer-associated mortality during a 40-years’ follow-up using Cox proportional hazards models. A co-sibling design was employed to take familial factors into account. Results: During a mean follow-up of 27 years 15 093 cases of cancer and 4900 cancer-associated mortalities were registered. Higher Wmax (per additional 1 SD) was associated with a decreased risk of cancer at 40 years of follow-up (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.91–0.96 for cancer and HR 0.82 95% CI 0.76–0.87 for cancer-associated mortality) but not at 5 years of follow-up (HR 1.03; 95% CI 0.99–1.07; and HR 1.04; 95% CI 0.97–1.12). In the co-sibling model the protective effects of high Wmax were increased at 40 years of follow-up for cancer (HR 0.91; 95% CI 0.85–0.98) and cancer-associated mortality (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.68–0.89). Conclusions: These findings identify in late adolescence a potentially modifiable predictor of cancer, with higher aerobic fitness associated with a decreased risk of cancer incidence and mortality later in life.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Aerobic fitness, Cancer, Cancer mortality, Cancer risk factors, Familial factors
in
Cancer Epidemiology
volume
59
pages
6 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85060462566
  • pmid:30690331
ISSN
1877-7821
DOI
10.1016/j.canep.2019.01.012
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bad96c3f-b724-4de3-a49b-6e841c46a1c0
date added to LUP
2019-02-04 14:09:56
date last changed
2024-06-11 04:10:41
@article{bad96c3f-b724-4de3-a49b-6e841c46a1c0,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: The incidence of cancer has steadily risen. It is important to identify modifiable predictors in early life that may decrease cancer risks and mortality. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between aerobic fitness in adolescence and the subsequent risk of cancer and cancer-associated mortality. Methods: The study included 1 185 439 Swedish men born between 1950 and 1980 that participated in the military conscription (mean age = 18 years). The results from the aerobic fitness test (W<sub>max</sub>) was linked to the risk of cancer and cancer-associated mortality during a 40-years’ follow-up using Cox proportional hazards models. A co-sibling design was employed to take familial factors into account. Results: During a mean follow-up of 27 years 15 093 cases of cancer and 4900 cancer-associated mortalities were registered. Higher W<sub>max</sub> (per additional 1 SD) was associated with a decreased risk of cancer at 40 years of follow-up (HR 0.93; 95% CI 0.91–0.96 for cancer and HR 0.82 95% CI 0.76–0.87 for cancer-associated mortality) but not at 5 years of follow-up (HR 1.03; 95% CI 0.99–1.07; and HR 1.04; 95% CI 0.97–1.12). In the co-sibling model the protective effects of high W<sub>max</sub> were increased at 40 years of follow-up for cancer (HR 0.91; 95% CI 0.85–0.98) and cancer-associated mortality (HR 0.78; 95% CI 0.68–0.89). Conclusions: These findings identify in late adolescence a potentially modifiable predictor of cancer, with higher aerobic fitness associated with a decreased risk of cancer incidence and mortality later in life.</p>}},
  author       = {{Högström, G. and Ohlsson, H. and Crump, C. and Sundquist, J. and Sundquist, K.}},
  issn         = {{1877-7821}},
  keywords     = {{Aerobic fitness; Cancer; Cancer mortality; Cancer risk factors; Familial factors}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{58--63}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Cancer Epidemiology}},
  title        = {{Aerobic fitness in late adolescence and the risk of cancer and cancer-associated mortality in adulthood : A prospective nationwide study of 1.2 million Swedish men}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2019.01.012}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.canep.2019.01.012}},
  volume       = {{59}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}