To investigate sex differences in the associations among
metabolic syndrome,
obesity, adipose tissue-related
biomarkers, and colorectal
adenomatous polyps, a cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted on 489 consecutive individuals who underwent their first colonoscopy at 3 hospitals. Plasma concentrations of
adiponectin and
leptin, as well as homeostatic model assessment of
insulin resistance were also evaluated. The presence and number of
adenomatous polyps, including advanced
adenoma, were higher in men than in women.
Metabolic syndrome was a risk factor for
adenomatous polyps in both sexes. Large waist circumference was an independent risk factor for
adenomatous polyps in men, and high BMI and large waist circumference were risk factors for
adenomatous polyps in women. Interestingly, low BMI was associated with large
adenomatous polyps (≥10 mm) and advanced
adenoma, and waist-hip ratio was involved in proximal
adenomatous polyp development only in women. In contrast, the highest quartile of
leptin concentration had a 3.67-fold increased
adenomatous polyp risk compared with the lowest quartile only in men. These results indicate that regarding colorectal pathogenesis, sex differences were identified in
obesity but not in
metabolic syndrome.
Visceral obesity and a high serum
leptin level may be risk factors for colorectal
adenomatous polyp development in Japanese men.