A large-scale population-based analysis from the PLCO cohort examined whether dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) influence lung cancer risk. Over 12.2 years of follow-up, involving more than 1.2 million person-years, the study documented 1,706 incident lung cancer cases, with the majority being NSCLC. Higher dietary GI was consistently associated with increased risks of lung cancer, NSCLC, and even SCLC after multivariable adjustment. In contrast, higher GL appeared protective, correlating with significantly reduced risks of lung cancer and NSCLC.
These findings highlight the nuanced relationship between carbohydrate quality, metabolic exposure, and cancer risk—an underexplored dimension in preventive care and lifestyle counseling. To explore the full study and its implications for cancer prevention in primary care, read the complete journal article here . Could glycemic…
