Researchers from the Faculty of Health at York University have made a significant discovery by utilizing comprehensive data from the United States that tracked patients over more than ten years. They found that women who have both metabolic syndrome and high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HPV) face a mortality risk that is 2.6 times higher compared to women who have neither condition. This finding highlights the importance of considering comorbid chronic diseases when evaluating the risk associated with HPV-related cancers.

Catriona Buick, an Assistant Professor at the School of Nursing and an Oncology Nurse Clinician Scientist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, has made notable contributions to this study. Buick, recognized for her expertise in HPV, women’s health, and cancer care, collaborated with Parmis Mirzadeh, a PhD student at the School of Kinesiology and Health Science focusing on obesity and metabolic illness. Together, they delved into the link between these conditions and mortality risk.

The data for this groundbreaking study, published in PLOS ONE, originated from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and encompassed a final sample of 5,101 individuals, including 3,274 women. The researchers identified that over a quarter of the women with metabolic syndrome were also affected by high-risk HPV. Interestingly, the study did not find a direct increase in mortality risk associated with HPV status alone. The researchers suggest this could be due to the data only providing a momentary glimpse into whether a woman had HPV without the ability to assess the virus’s persistence over time.

Buick sheds light on HPV, noting its status as the most common sexually transmitted infection, often likened to the “common flu” of STIs. She explains that while the human body can typically clear HPV relatively quickly, persistent cases of high-risk HPV may lead to precancerous changes in the cervix and, over many years, potentially develop into cervical cancer.

Of the 200 known HPV strains, most do not pose a significant threat; however, a few are responsible for the majority of cervical cancer cases, which account for 4.5% of all cancer cases globally. Metabolic syndrome, on the other hand, is characterized by a group of conditions that elevate the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. These include increased waist circumference, elevated fasting blood sugar levels, and high blood pressure. Although the direct impact of metabolic syndrome on HPV was not a focal point of this study, individuals with metabolic syndrome are approximately 65% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and 25% more likely to die from any cause. The researchers suggest that the link between metabolic syndrome and HPV could be related to a weakened immune response and chronic inflammation. However, further research is needed to explore a direct physiological pathway.

With one in five Canadian adults diagnosed with metabolic syndrome and the prevalence of this condition on the rise, both Buick and Mirzadeh stress the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, undergoing routine cancer screenings, and getting vaccinated for HPV. There is a shift in Canada and globally from Pap smears to HPV testing, which Buick suggests can offer earlier warnings of potential issues and does not require as frequent testing. Despite the effectiveness of HPV vaccinations in protecting against some of the most common cancer-causing HPV strains, Buick emphasizes the necessity of cervical screening for everyone with a cervix, regardless of vaccination status.

More information: Parmis Mirzadeh et al, Association between human papillomaviruses, metabolic syndrome, and all-cause death; analysis of the U.S. NHANES 2003–2004 to 2015–2016, PLoS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299479

Journal information: PLoS ONE Provided by York University