Nutritional Advice El MondoObjectives:
Red meat intake has been associated with risk of colorectal cancer, potentially mediated through heterocyclic amines. The metabolic efficiency of N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) required for the metabolic activation of such amines is influenced by genetic variation. The interaction between red meat intake, NAT2 genotype and colorectal cancer has been inconsistently reported. Therefore, this review article has been conducted.
Is there an interaction between red meat intake, NAT2 genotype and colorectal cancer?
Study design:
This review article included 11 retrospective case-control studies with 8,290 colorectal cancer cases and 9,115 controls (subjects without colorectal cancer).
Results and conclusions:
The investigators found the highest quartile of red meat intake was associated with a 41% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared with the lowest quartile [OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.29-1.55].
However, a significant association was observed only for studies with retrospective diet data, not for studies with diet prospectively assessed before cancer diagnosis.
The investigators found when combining all studies, high red meat intake was similarly associated with colorectal cancer in those with a rapid/intermediate NAT2 genotype [OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.20-1.59] as with a slow genotype [OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.28-1.61, p interaction = 0.9].
The investigators concluded high red meat intake was associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer only from retrospective case-control studies and not modified by NAT2 enzyme activity.
Original title:
Red Meat Intake, NAT2, and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Pooled Analysis of 11 Studies by Ananthakrishnan AN, Du M, […], Chan AT.
Link:
http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/cebp/24/1/198.full.pdf
Additional information of El Mondo:
Find more studies/information on red meat consumption and colorectal cancer right here.