Preventing colon polyps: Another reason to lose those holiday pounds

In the January issue of Diseases of the Colon & Rectum, researchers from Seoul, Korea, studied nearly 3000 patients undergoing routine physicals over a 6-year period. Patient height, body weight, waist circumference, and blood tests were obtained in all patients. An abdominal ultrasound was also performed in all patients to determine whether or not a fatty liver was present.

In addition, all patients underwent colonoscopy. Using the body mass index (calculated using a patient's height and weight), results of 2 blood tests (serum triglycerides and a liver blood test), and the patient's waist circumference, the researchers were able to compute a "fatty liver index." Nearly one-quarter of patients had metabolic syndrome, and half had fatty liver. Thirty-one percent of patients had a colon polyp, and these polyps were more common in the upper part of the colon. Statistical analyses showed that patients with a BMI > 25, those with a fatty liver, and those older than 60, were at increased risk of having a colon polyp. A fatty liver index > or equal to 30 was associated with an increased risk of having colon polyps (odds ratio 1.26; 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.49). Thirty-six percent of patients with a fatty liver index > or equality to 30 has colon polyps as compared to 27% of patients with a fatty liver index < 30. This high fatty liver index group also had more polyps, and they were more frequent in the upper colon. One more reason to work on losing those extra pounds!