“Waist to hip ratio (WHR): A prognostic indicator for the gallbladder cancer in north Indian females”

Abstract

Background: Anthropometric indices are shown to be associated with many chronic illnesses, which may also aggravate the progression of cancer in various organs. Furthermore, cancer and cancer treatment is a state in which a person’s taste, smell, appetite and absorption of food or nutrients get badly affected which causes nutritional deterioration and is directly associated with the anorexia of malignancy with altered metabolism. The present study was framed to assess the exclusive role of Waist Hip Ratio (WHR) which may be helpful in better understanding of the risk associated with Gallbladder cancer (GBC).

Methods:This is a matched case-control sub analysis of a study comprising total of 246 study subjects among; 82 cases and 164 controls were selected. Out of these, 35 cases and 35 controls matching with their BMI were considered for the analysis. For analysing nutritional status of respondents, anthropometric measurements were taken, such as height, weight, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist hip ratio.

Results:The GB cancer cases having higher WHR(0.82) was 3.45 times more as controls. In the present study the risk of GB cancer was 5.369 (95% CI: 1.879-15.344) times higher among the females with WHR 0.82 compared to females with WHR < 0.82.

Conclusion:Persons with high waist-to-hip ratio(WHR) and related lifestyle should be identified and advices should be given for more intensive and rigorous life style at an early stage as a preventive measure for development of GBC.