Glycemic status, insulin resistance, and mortality from lung cancer among individuals with and without diabetes

Abstract Background The effects of glycemic status and insulin resistance on lung cancer remain unclear. We investigated the associations between both glycemic status and insulin resistance, and lung cancer mortality, in a young and middle-aged population with and without diabetes. Methods This cohort study involved individuals who participated in routine health examinations. Lung cancer mortality was identified using national death records. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs for lung cancer mortality risk. Results Among 666,888 individuals (mean age 39.9 ± 10.9 years) followed for 8.3 years (interquartile range, 4.6–12.7), 602 lung cancer deaths occurred. Among individuals without diabetes, the multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for lung cancer mortality comparing hemoglobin A1c categories (5.7–5.9, 6.0–6.4, and ≥ 6.5% or 39–41, 42–46, and ≥ 48 mmol/mol, respectively) with the reference (< 5.7% or < 39 mmol/mol) were 1.39 (1.13–1.71), 1.72 (1.33–2.20), and 2.22 (1.56–3.17), respectively. Lung cancer mortality was associated with fasting blood glucose categories in a dose–response manner (P for trend = 0.001) and with previously diagnosed diabetes. Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR ≥ 2.5) in individuals without diabetes was also associated with lung cancer mortality (multivariable-adjusted HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.13–1.75). These associations remained after adjusting for changing status in glucose, hemoglobin A1c, insulin resistance, smoking status, and other confounders during follow-up as time-varying covariates. Conclusions Glycemic status within both diabetes and prediabetes ranges and insulin resistance were independently associated with an increased risk of lung cancer mortality.