Non-Hodgkin lymphoma: low activity and nutritional intake would be too high risk factors

People who eat too much or have insufficient physical activity are at an increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to an article in the journal "American Journal of Epidemiology."

Dr. Sai Yi Pan, of the Centre for prevention and control of chronic diseases, Ottawa and colleagues examined the influence of leisure time physical activity, obesity and nutritional intake on the risk of suffering from a non-Hodgkin lymphoma, from monitoring data collected at the national level, involving more than 1,000 patients and 3,000 others.

Patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma generally consumed more calories and were more likely to be obese than others, the authors report.

Among men, those who were in the top quarter in terms of physical activity had a risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma decreased by 21% compared to those who were in the bottom quarter and this figure was 41% for women, say the scientists.

Obesity is associated with a risk of 59% among men and 36% women. Men lying in the top quarter in terms of caloric intake had a risk of 95% compared with those in the lowest quarter.

The influence of physical activity lower the risk of suffering from non-Hodgkin diffuse than suffer with follicular lymphoma, small lymphocytic lymphoma and other types of lymphoma lymphoma. Instead, obesity appears to have a greater impact on the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and diffuse to other types of lymphoma.

These findings "provide one more reason" to advise physicians to exercise, according to Dr. Pan, whose team now plans to conduct further studies to examine possible links between diet, supplementation with vitamins and minerals, smoking and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma..