Mixed
In nonmetastatic colorectal cancer patients, the co-occurrence of systemic inflammation (elevated neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio ≥3) and sarcopenia (low skeletal muscle index) doubles the risk of overall and cancer-specific mortality compared to having neither condition.
If you have early-stage colorectal cancer, ask your care team to check your muscle mass (via CT scan) and inflammation markers (blood test) early on. Having both low muscle and high inflammation significantly increases your risk of death, but because these factors are modifiable, identifying them opens the door for interventions like resistance training and nutritional support to potentially improve your survival chances.
Patients with both sarcopenia and NLR of 3 or greater (vs neither) had double the risk of death, overall (HR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.70-2.65) and CRC related (HR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.79-3.29).
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort (n=2470), rigorous statistical adjustment for confounders, but observational design prevents causal inference.
Source
Association of Systemic Inflammation and Sarcopenia With Survival in Nonmetastatic Colorectal Cancer
Elizabeth M. Cespedes Feliciano et al. · JAMA Oncology · 2017
DOI 10.1001/jamaoncol.2017.2319
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →