Association Between Obesity and Brain Tumor Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Francisco Cezar Aquino de Moraes1, Fernanda Moraes Tamashiro2, Luis Henrique Rios Moreira Rego3, João Arthur Cerqueira Taumaturgo4, Vládia Falcão5, Mario Hiroyuki Hirata1
1Department of Clinical and Toxicological Analysis, University of São Paulo, 2Universidad de Buenos Aires, 3State University of Piaui, 4Federal University of Paraíba, 5State University of Amazonas
Objective:
This study aims to assess the association between BMI and the risk of meningioma and glioma through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Background:
Obesity is a well-established risk factor for various cancers, with elevated body mass index (BMI) linked to increased incidence at approximately thirteen anatomical sites, including the brain. Among primary central nervous system (CNS) tumours, meningiomas and gliomas represent distinct entities in terms of biology and prognosis, yet both may be influenced by obesity-related mechanisms such as systemic inflammation, hormonal dysregulation, and alterations in insulin-like growth factors. Previous meta-analyses have explored this relationship, but divergences in study design and populations call for an updated synthesis.
Design/Methods:
A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase and Cochrane were searched for studies reporting CNS tumors risk in patients with and without overweight (BMI≥25) or obesity (BMI≥30). Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed using Inverse variance random-effect models. Heterogeneity was assessed using I² statistics. Statistical analyses were performed using R, version 4.4.2.
Results:
From 5,272 records, nineteen studies involving 16,746,321 patients were included. The presence of overweight or obesity is significantly associated with increased risk of CNS tumors (OR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.07–1.33; p = 0.001; I² = 90%). Similarly, overweight or obesity is also associated with increased risk of meningiomas (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.06–1.55; p = 0.008; I² = 91.7%). Conversely, the exposition was not observed to be associated with increased risk of gliomas (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.91–1.19; p = 0.522; I² = 91.7%).
Conclusions:
This meta-analysis suggests that the presence of overweight and obesity significantly increases risk of central nervous system tumors, especially for meningiomas. With gliomas appearing to not be influenced by the characteristic.
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