The specific effect of central rather than general @entity28 on @entity0 risk is not clear. This review examines the relationship between waist and waist-hip ratio (WHR) and risk of @entity0 in pre- and post-menopausal @entity1 using all available cohort and case-control data. The databases of the Cochrane Library, Medline, Cancer Lit and Embase were searched until October 2002. Relevant cohort and case-control studies with separate analyses in pre- and/or post-menopausal @entity1 were included. Random effects meta-analyses were carried out, subgrouped by pre- or post-menopausal status and cohort or case-control design. Sensitivity analyses were also performed. Five cohort studies with 72,1705 @entity1 years of observation (453 pre-menopausal and 2684 post-menopausal cases), and three case-control studies comprising 276 pre-menopausal cases with 758 pre-menopausal controls and 390 post-menopausal cases with 1071 post-menopausal controls were included. Pooled results from cohort studies using the most adjusted data [but without adjustment for weight or body mass index (BMI)] suggest a 39% lower risk of @entity0 in post-menopausal @entity1 with the smallest waist (compared with the largest) and a 24% lower risk in @entity1 with the smallest WHR. In pre-menopausal @entity1 , however, pooled results suggest that measurement of waist or WHR have little effect on risk of @entity0 . Adjustment for BMI abolished the relationship between waist or WHR and risk of post-menopausal @entity0 , but introduced such a relationship amongst pre-menopausal @entity1 . The relationship between a smaller measurement of waist or WHR and lower risk of post-menopausal @entity0 appears to result from the associated correlation with BMI. Amongst pre-menopausal @entity1 , central (not general) @entity28 may be specifically associated with an increased risk of @entity0 .

Central obesity and XXXX risk: a systematic review.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['women', 'person'] @entity0 :: ('MESH:D001943', 'Disease') :: ['breast cancer'] @entity28 :: ('MESH:D009765', 'Disease') :: ['obesity']
@entity0 :: (MESH:D001943,Disease) :: ['breast cancer']
