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Keeping average blood sugar levels below 7 per cent can help reduce the risk of developing colorectal or liver cancer in diabetics by about 30 per cent, a University of Hong Kong team has found in citywide studies covering data from more than 140,000 patients.
Releasing their findings on Wednesday, the researchers said they conducted two studies last year, in which they analysed the clinical information of newly diagnosed diabetic patients entered into the electronic registry database of the Hospital Authority.
“Controlling blood sugar levels well can reduce the chances of coronary heart disease, kidney disease and stroke, and also has a significant effect on the prevention of tumours,” Professor Walter Seto Wai-kay of the university’s department of medicine said.
“Good control of diabetes can significantly reduce the risks of developing colorectal and liver cancers.”
Colorectal cancer and liver cancer are the second and fifth most-common cancers in the city, according to the Hong Kong Cancer Registry.
Diabetes is a chronic disorder characterised by a raised blood glucose level resulting from insulin deficiency or resistance, or both. About 700,000 people, or about one in every 10 residents, have diabetes in Hong Kong.
Despite the proven effectiveness of better control of diabetes in preventing cardiovascular and renal diseases, its potential in warding off cancer has not been extensively studied.