Diabetes brings with itself head and neck cancer, a new research by Taiwan scientists reveals.
Researchers observed that people with diabetes mellitus have increased risk of developing cancer related to head and neck.
This particular cancer is the sixth most common type of cancer globally. According to the figures, head and neck cancer comprises of nearly 6 percent of all cases worldwide and affects at least 650,000 people. Around 350,000 people suffering from this medical condition die every year.
For the study, the researchers examined the data from Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Research Database. The team found that the risk of head and neck cancer was 1.47 times higher in patients recently diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.
According to the researchers, this study compared 89,089 diagnosed with diabetes with control patients without diabetes mellitus in 2011. All the participants were aged between 40 and 65.
"Because we adequately controlled for the confounding factors, our findings disclose a higher incidence of HNC in patients with DM and highlight the importance of monitoring patients with DM for HNC," lead researcher Kuo-Shu Tseng of the Taiwan University of Technology in Taiwan wrote in the study.
A recent study on Type-2 diabetes suggested that including culinary herbs rosemary and oregano in the diet can combat the disease. The team found that these herbs were rich in polyphenols and flavonoids compared to the equivalent commercial herbs.
Researchers have also found that certain drugs prescribed for diabetes are also effective in reducing the risk of mentally debilitating conditions. A study showed that the drug pioglitazone, sold as Actos, prescribed for people with Type-2 diabetes prevents the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
Patients are advised to consult a doctor before taking any medications.
The findings of the current study were published in the journal JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
