Decoding the Link Between Obesity and Blood Cancer

Obesity has been associated with a plethora of health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and various other ailments. Can blood cancer be added to that list? A recent study discovered that obesity has been associated with clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), a blood condition that may increase the risk of blood cancer. The study was conducted by researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine and published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Obesity induced inflammation exacerbates clonal hematopoiesis

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CHIP is a disorder where genetic abnormalities build up in blood cells, raising the chance of developing blood cancer. Although CHIP is frequently seen in older people, little is known about the risk factors that lead to the illness.

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How Obesity Could Lead to Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential (CHIP)

“Our study’s results showed that being overweight or obese may be a risk factor for CHIP because obesity causes inflammation in the body and changes the bone marrow where blood cells are made. This increases a person’s risk for blood cancer and cardiovascular disease,” said lead author of the published study Santhosh Pasupuleti, Ph.D., assistant research professor of pediatrics at the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research and a researcher at the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. “The significance of our findings offers potential new avenues for treatment in individuals with CHIP and obesity.”

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Fight Obesity to Reduce the Risk of Blood Cancer

The authors of the study analyzed data from more than 47,000 patients with CHIP and discovered that 5.8% of the population was associated with a significant increase in the waist-to-hip ratio.

Furthermore, mice models with obesity and CHIP used in the study were observed to have mutated blood cells grow faster.

Therefore, work done by the researchers shows that maintaining a healthy weight and keeping the level of systemic inflammation in check could lower the risk of developing blood cancer with age.

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Finding Ways to Treat Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential

“Our current and future studies are focused on identifying therapeutic strategies to mitigate the expansion and rapid growth of CHIP-bearing mutated blood cells,” said Reuben Kapur, Ph.D., director of the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, co-program leader of Hematopoiesis and Hematologic Malignancies at the IU Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, and co-author of the study. “Surprisingly, our initial findings suggest that common medications used for treating blood pressure and diabetes may play a role in regulating the growth of mutated blood cells. Additional future studies will focus on examining individuals who are on these types of medications and their long-term risks of developing blood cancer.”

Researchers also tested different drug combinations to target CHIP mutant cells and find potential therapeutic approaches for the condition as part of their research. On the whole, the study suggests that a better understanding of the relationship between CHIP and obesity can help identify people at risk of developing diseases like leukemia and find methods for future treatments.

Reference:

1. Obesity induced inflammation exacerbates clonal hematopoiesis - (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37071471/)

Source-Medindia