Research
Hormonal
Visceral adiposity, independent of overall BMI, is a significant risk factor for Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma, mediated by adipokines like leptin and inflammatory cytokines.
Focus on reducing visceral fat through a balanced diet and regular physical activity, even if your overall weight is normal. This can significantly lower your risk of developing Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
At meta-analysis, patients with central obesity (as measured by waist circumference ± waist–hip ratio) have an increased risk of developing BE (17 studies; adjusted OR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.52–2.57) [35]. In five studies, this association remained even after adjusting for BMI [19,36–39].
Why this rating
Based on meta-analyses and multiple observational studies.
Source
Obesity and increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma
Jessie A. Elliott et al. · Expert Review of Endocrinology & Metabolism · 2015
DOI 10.1586/17446651.2015.1077696
narrative_reviewCited 8×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Obesity, particularly visceral adiposity, significantly increases the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) through both mechanical factors (increased reflux) and biological mechanisms (adipokine secretion and systemic inflammation).Strong
- Bariatric surgery, by inducing significant weight loss and improving metabolic profiles, reduces the overall incidence of cancer, including esophageal adenocarcinoma.Good
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