Evidence mapPaperPMID 40836282Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2025

Muscle strength and mass as predictors of pancreatic cancer: insights from the UK biobank.

Xin Liu, Hui Song, Chao Li, Xiao Hu, Chang Li, Guo-Tao Lu, Hongfei Xiang, Qian Yu

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Article in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

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4citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Xin Liu *Department of Gastroenterology, Zigong Fourth People's Hospital, Zigong, 643000, China.
Hui Song *Tumor Immunology and Cytotherapy of Medical Research Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China.
Chao Li *Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao Binhai University, Qingdao, 266404, China.
Xiao HuGastrointestinal Cancer Institute (Pancreatic Disease Institute), the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China.
Chang LiSchool of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 999077, Hong Kong, China.
Guo-Tao LuPancreatic Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Yangzhou Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225000, China. gtlu@yzu.edu.cn.
Hongfei XiangDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China. xianghf@qdu.edu.cn.
Qian YuTumor Immunology and Cytotherapy of Medical Research Center, the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, China. u3004582@connect.hku.hk.

Funding

Health Commission of Sichuan Province Medical Science and Technology Program 24CXTD12National Natural Science Foundation of China 82303933Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support Program 2024JDRC0042
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile sarcopenia is associated with adverse pancreatic cancer (PC) outcomes, prospective evidence linking muscle health to PC risk remains limited. This study aimed to prospectively investigate the associations of grip strength and muscle mass with incident PC risk in the UK Biobank cohort.

methodsAmong 363,693 UK Biobank participants, grip strength (kg) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-derived muscle mass (weight-normalized) were measured. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for age, sex, lifestyle factors, and metabolic syndrome components, assessed PC risk over a median 13.7-year follow-up.

resultsHigher muscle mass (HR = 0.86, 95% Confidential Interval [CI]:0.78-0.95) and grip strength (HR = 0.90, 95% CI:0.83-0.98) demonstrated linear inverse associations with PC risk showing sex-specific divergence: muscle mass reduction conferred stronger protection in men (HR = 0.84, 95% CI:0.74-0.96), whereas grip strength showed greater impact in women (HR = 0.84, 95% CI:0.74-0.96). Subgroup analyses revealed that improved grip strength reduced PC risk in diabetics (HR = 0.89, 95% CI:0.80-0.99), while obese individuals benefited from both enhanced grip strength (HR = 0.95, 95% CI:0.90-0.99) and muscle mass (HR = 0.88, 95% CI:0.82-0.94). Population-attributable fraction estimates suggest 5-12% of PC cases could be prevented through muscle health interventions.

conclusionThese findings highlight an association between improved physical capability and reduced PC risk, supporting the adoption of sex-specific preventive strategies-prioritizing muscle mass augmentation in men and grip strength enhancement in women, particularly in high-risk metabolic subgroups. By characterizing sarcopenia as an independent risk factor, this study underscores the imperative to integrate muscle preservation into pancreatic cancer prevention paradigms.

Indexed as

Hand StrengthMuscle, SkeletalMuscle StrengthPancreatic NeoplasmsSarcopeniaAgedBiological Specimen BanksFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProportional Hazards ModelsProspective StudiesRisk FactorsUK BiobankUnited KingdomMuscle massMuscle strengthPancreatic cancerProspective studyUK Biobank

Identifiers

PMID40836282
PMCPMC12369202

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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 Socratic graph.