Assessing the relationship between factors of metabolic syndrome and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

Abstract

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome and its components, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia, are known risk factors for many types of cancer, including multiple myeloma (MM). Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is a precursor to MM and related cancers, but its causes are not fully understood. The study‘s aim was to evaluate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and its components and prevalence and severity of MGUS.Methods and materials: The population of the study was obtained from the iStopMM study, a population-based screening study for MGUS. Data from central health databases was cross-linked to participants. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association of components of metabolic syndrome, and their severity, with MGUS. Next, the association of metabolic syndrome factors with MGUS biomarkers was investigated.Results: A total of 75,422 participants were screened for MGUS and 3,669 (4.9%) had MGUS. After adjusting for other factors of metabolic syndrome, a statistically significant association was found between obesity and developing MGUS (OR = 1.46, 95% CI: [1.33, 1.59], p<0.001) but not for diabetes (OR = 0.99, 95% CI: [0.85 , 1.14], p=0.85), hypertension (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: [0.94 , 1.13], p=0.499), or dyslipidemia (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: [0.94 , 1.27], p=0.243). No association was found between components of the metabolic syndrome and biomarkers of MGUS.Discussion: Results show that obesity is associated with an increased incidence of MGUS, with associated progression to MM, and provide important insight into the causation of MM, whose increased understanding has implications for the development of interventions and public health policy.