PLOS One: 2 factors nearly triple probability of women’s mortality, research shows

Women with both metabolic syndrome and high-risk strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) are at a nearly three times higher risk for mortality than women without either condition.

This is evidenced by the research published in the journal PLOS One.

Researcher used the data of 3,274 women. Patients with high-risk HPV and metabolic syndrome were 2.6 times more likely to die.

In addition, the researchers found more than a quarter of the women with metabolic syndrome had high-risk HPV. This may mean that metabolic syndrome increases the risk of infection. Researchers believe that this may be related to a weakened immune response and chronic inflammation; but only further research can confirm this hypothesis.

HPV has more than 200 known strains. Most of them are not dangerous, but a handful are responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer.

Previous research has shown that women with metabolic syndrome—excess fat around the waist, high fasting blood sugar levels, high blood pressure, and some other symptoms—are more likely to be infected with HPV. Individuals with metabolic syndrome are about 65 percent more likely to develop cardiovascular disease and are 25 percent more likely to die from “any” cause.

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