Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32698183›Full record

SynthesisObesity facts2020

The Metabolic Syndrome Is a Risk Factor for Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Ping Zhao, Ning Xia, Hong Zhang, Tingting Deng

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Obesity facts, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
31citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

31 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity-related cancer Risk and Survival: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews With Meta-analysis of Observational Studies.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026
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  7. Metabolic Syndrome and Coronary Artery Disease Risk: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
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  9. International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
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  14. Role, mechanisms and effects ofOncology letters · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Ping ZhaoGuangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Ning XiaGuangxi Medical University, Nanning, China, xianing@tom.com.
Hong ZhangDepartment of Endocrinology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Tingting DengDepartment of Endocrinology, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University · CNGuangxi Medical University · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been associated with the pathogenesis and prognosis of various malignant tumors. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we explored the relationship between MetS and breast cancer (BC).

methodsRelevant studies were systematically searched on Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane database, and PubMed up to September 16, 2019, using "breast cancer" and "metabolic syndrome" as keywords. Eligible studies with clear definition of MetS, available data, and relationships between MetS and BC were evaluated using a risk ratio (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI).

resultsTwenty-five studies, including 13 cohort studies and 12 case-control studies, met the inclusion criteria, which assessed a total of 392,583 female participants and 19,628 BC patients. The results revealed a statistically significant increase by 52% of the risk of BC in adult females with MetS (RR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.31-1.70, p < 0.0001). Postmenopausal MetS patients may have a twofold risk to suffer BC (RR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.55-2.60, p < 0.001). The risk of BC increased markedly with the number of MetS components: RR = 1.00 for 1 component (p = 0.976), RR = 1.40 for 2 components (p = 0.121), and RR = 1.98 for >3 components (p < 0.001). The risk factors associated with BC were obesity, hypertension, and diabetes (RR = 1.33, 1.19, and 1.30 respectively, all p < 0.001).

conclusionsOur study demonstrated that MetS is highly related with BC. In postmenopausal patients with ≥2 MetS components or a combination of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, routine BC screening could help to detect BC at an early stage.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCase-Control StudiesHumansHypertensionMetabolic SyndromeOdds RatioPrognosisRisk FactorsBreast cancerMenopausal statusMetabolic syndromeRisk of breast cancer

Identifiers

PMID32698183
PMCPMC7590763
OpenAlexW3045399378

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.