Table 2.
Age- and Multivariable-Adjusted Relative Risks of Skin Cancer According to History of High Cholesterol, Nurses’ Health Study (NHS, 2000–2010) and Health Professionals Follow-Up Study (HPFS, 2000–2010)
| No. of Cases | Person-Years | Age-Adjusted RR | 95% CI | Multivariable-Adjusted RR* | 95% CI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basal cell carcinoma | ||||||
| NHS | ||||||
| No history of high cholesterol | 2,215 | 159,784 | 1.00 | Reference | 1.00 | Reference |
| History of high cholesterol | 5,072 | 318,951 | 1.02 | 0.97, 1.07 | 1.03 | 0.98, 1.08 |
| HPFS | ||||||
| No history of high cholesterol | 1,212 | 73,058 | 1.00 | Reference | 1.00 | Reference |
| History of high cholesterol | 1,702 | 93,196 | 1.06 | 0.99, 1.14 | 1.08 | 1.00, 1.16 |
| Pooled† | ||||||
| No history of high cholesterol | 3,427 | 232,842 | 1.00 | Reference | 1.00 | Reference |
| History of high cholesterol | 6,774 | 412,147 | 1.03 | 0.99, 1.08 | 1.04 | 1.00, 1.09 |
|
| ||||||
| Squamous cell carcinoma | ||||||
| NHS | ||||||
| No history of high cholesterol | 298 | 160,676 | 1.00 | Reference | 1.00 | Reference |
| History of high cholesterol | 586 | 321,044 | 0.90 | 0.78, 1.04 | 0.94 | 0.82, 1.08 |
| HPFS | ||||||
| No history of high cholesterol | 222 | 74,096 | 1.00 | Reference | 1.00 | Reference |
| History of high cholesterol | 287 | 94,658 | 0.95 | 0.80, 1.13 | 0.97 | 0.81, 1.16 |
| Pooled† | ||||||
| No history of high cholesterol | 520 | 234,772 | 1.00 | Reference | 1.00 | Reference |
| History of high cholesterol | 873 | 415,702 | 0.92 | 0.82, 1.03 | 0.95 | 0.85, 1.06 |
|
| ||||||
| Melanoma | ||||||
| NHS | ||||||
| No history of high cholesterol | 87 | 160,872 | 1.00 | Reference | 1.00 | Reference |
| History of high cholesterol | 141 | 321,436 | 0.78 | 0.60, 1.03 | 0.77 | 0.58, 1.01 |
| HPFS | ||||||
| No history of high cholesterol | 44 | 74,255 | 1.00 | Reference | 1.00 | Reference |
| History of high cholesterol | 61 | 94,839 | 1.07 | 0.73, 1.59 | 1.06 | 0.71, 1.57 |
| Pooled† | ||||||
| No history of high cholesterol | 131 | 235,127 | 1.00 | Reference | 1.00 | Reference |
| History of high cholesterol | 202 | 416, 275 | 0.89 | 0.66, 1.20 | 0.87 | 0.64, 1.19 |
Adjusted for family history of melanoma (yes vs. no), natural hair color (red, blonde, light brown, dark brown, black), number of arm moles (0, 1–2, 3–9, ≥10), sunburn susceptibility as a child/adolescent (none/some redness, burn, painful burn/blisters), number of lifetime blistering sunburns (0, 1–4, 5–9, ≥10), cumulative UV flux since baseline (quintiles), body mass index (<25.0, 25.0–29.9, 30.0–34.9, ≥35.0 kg/m2), physical activity (quintiles), smoking status (never, past, or current), total energy intake (quintiles), alcohol (0, 0.1–4.9, 5.0–9.9, 10.0–19.9, ≥20.0 g/d), and citrus intake (quintiles). Analyses for women were also adjusted for menopausal status and postmenopausal hormone use.
The multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios from each cohort were combined with meta-analytic methods using random effects model.