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Mole count associated with type 2 diabetes risk
In adults without type 2 diabetes, a greater number of moles may be associated with increased risk for developing the disease in the future, according to an analysis of data from two large studies.
“To our knowledge, the present study is the first to prospectively examine the association of melanocytic nevus count with type 2 diabetes risk,” Yiqing Song, MD, ScD, associate professor in the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at Indiana University, and colleagues wrote. “Our results indicate a potential common mechanism shared by nevogenesis and type 2 diabetes, although further studies are warranted to confirm our findings and clarify the underlying mechanism.”
Song and colleagues analyzed survey data from 26,240 men participating in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) beginning in 1988 and 67,050 women participating in the Nurses’ Health Study beginning in 1986. Information on lifestyle factors and medical histories were collected biennially; responses to questions about nevus count on the left arm, from shoulder to wrist, were collected once in the baseline questionnaires. Primary endpoint was incident type 2 diabetes. Researchers used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate HRs for type 2 diabetes according to the number of cutaneous nevi in the two cohorts.
Researchers documented 9,040 cases of type 2 diabetes during 1,879,287 person-years of follow-up. In both women and men, greater numbers of cutaneous nevi were associated with increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Compared with men with no nevi, the HR for developing type 2 diabetes was 1.09 for men with one to five nevi (95% CI, 0.99-1.2); 1.2 for men with six to 14 nevi (95% CI, 0.97-1.48) and 2 for men with at least 15 nevi (95% CI, 1.47-2.72; P for linear trend < .0001). Compared with women with no nevi, the HR for developing type 2 diabetes was 1.15 for women with one to five nevi (95% CI, 1.09-1.21); 1.25 for women with six to 14 nevi (95% CI, 1.11-1.4) and 1.7 for women with at least 15 nevi (95% CI, 1.38-2.09; P for linear trend < .0001).
Results persisted after adjustment for multiple factors, including age, BMI, ethnicity, family history of diabetes, total energy intake, menopausal status and postmenopausal hormone use in women; type 2 diabetes risk factors did not modify the associations, according to researchers.
The researchers noted that the focus was on “common moles,” and that information was not collected for the types of moles on the left arm.
“Our findings suggest that mole count could be a novel marker for development of type 2 diabetes, indicating a unique nevus development-related mechanism,” the researchers wrote. “Further studies are warranted to confirm findings from the present study and investigate underlying mechanisms.” – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosure: The National Cancer Institute partially funded this study. The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.