High Sugar Consumption Affects Aging in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Survivors of childhood cancer who consume more sugar have a greater number of aging-related health conditions, according to a study presented at the American Association for Cancer Research Special Conference: Aging and Cancer, held from Nov. 17 to 20 in San Diego.

Tuo Lan, Ph.D., from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues examined the association between sugar and sugar-sweetened beverage intake and premature aging in childhood cancer survivors using data from 3,322 adult survivors of childhood cancer (age range, 18 to 65 years; mean age, 31 years). Participants reported their typical diet using the 110-item Block Food Frequency Questionnaire.

The researchers found that total sugar intake was associated with a significantly increased risk for premature aging in childhood cancer survivors (per 25 g/1,000 kcal increment: odds ratios [95 percent confidence intervals], 1.31 [1.00 to 1.70] in the medium-risk group [risk based on the number of age-related chronic health conditions] and 1.52 [1.03 to 2.25] in the high-risk group). A similar trend for an increased risk for premature aging was seen when examining added sugar intake (per 20 g/1,000 kcal increment: odds ratios [95 percent confidence intervals], 1.19 [1.07 to 1.31] in the medium-risk group and 1.18 [1.02 to 1.37] in the high-risk group). Lastly, risk for premature aging was higher among those consuming two or more servings/day (versus no more than one per week) of total sugar-sweetened beverages (odds ratios [95 percent confidence intervals], 1.54 [0.83 to 2.83] in the medium-risk group and 6.71 [2.95 to 15.2] in the high-risk group). Diet soda consumption was not associated with premature aging risk.

“Considering cancer survivors are more vulnerable, they should especially limit their sugar intake,” Lan said in a statement.

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