Folate, Homocysteine, and Colorectal Cancer Risk in Women
Author Information
Author(s): Kato I, Dnistrian A M, Schwartz M, Toniolo P, Koenig K, Shore R E, Akhmedkhanov A, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Riboli E
Primary Institution: New York University School of Medicine
Hypothesis
Does serum folate and homocysteine levels affect the risk of colorectal cancer in women?
Conclusion
Higher serum folate levels are associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer in women.
Supporting Evidence
- The cases had lower serum folate and higher serum homocysteine levels than controls.
- The risk of colorectal cancer was half in the highest quartile of serum folate compared to the lowest.
- Subjects with below-median serum folate and above-median alcohol intake had almost double the risk of colorectal cancer.
Takeaway
Eating foods rich in folate might help protect women from getting colorectal cancer.
Methodology
Nested case-control study with 105 cases and 523 matched controls from the New York University Women's Health Study cohort.
Limitations
The potentially protective effects of folate need to be confirmed in clinical trials.
Participant Demographics
Women from the New York University Women's Health Study cohort.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.04
Confidence Interval
0.27–0.97
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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