Are world cancer research fund and American institute for cancer research recommendations for cancer prevention associated with known chronic disease biomarkers in healthy women?

Abstract

Chronic disease is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Nutritional, lifestyle, hormonal, and other biologic factors are thought to be responsible for the increased chronic disease risk in women. Baseline dietary intake was measured by food frequency questionnaires and repeated 24-hour recalls in 275 premenopausal women. Data were used to evaluate adherence to 10 cancer prevention recommendations as outlined by the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute of Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR). The association between adherence and known chronic disease biomarkers was also assessed. WCRF/AICR recommendations were operationalized into eight scores related to body fatness, physical activity, dietary intake, and smoking status. These scores were compared with mammographic density and nipple aspirate fluid as well as biologic markers for chronic diseases found in serum (estrogens, insulin-like growth factor, C-reactive protein and γ-tocopherol) and urine (estrogens and F2-isoprostane). Results from Analysis of Variance detected weak associations with WCRF/AICR recommendations and the measured biomarkers. Analysis between BMI status and biomarker levels suggested obese women have higher levels of serum C-reactive protein (LS mean of 0.9 mg/L) compared to normal and overweight women (2.3 vs. 4.6 mg/L, respectively; p<0.0001). Obese women also had higher γ-tocopherol (LS mean of 1502 ng/mL) compared to normal and overweight women (1777 vs. 1988 ng/mL, respectively; p=0.02). Significant positive and inverse associations were also observed between both alcohol and red meat consumption and the majority of the biomarkers measured γ-tocopherol showed the most association of any biomarker with dietary intake. Additional research is needed in the area of nutrition and biomarkers to understand, which biomarkers may be influenced and how these associations relate to health outcomes. Findings from this study reinforce that biomarkers may be particularly beneficial in understanding the role overweight and obesity plays in the interaction between diet and disease.