Influence of body mass index on incidence and prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia and acute promyelocytic leukemia: A meta-analysis

Previous studies have demonstrated an association between high body mass index (BMI) and acute myeloid leukemias (AML), particularly acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). However, the effect of obesity and overweight on the incidence of AML is not supported by all studies, and the relationship between obesity and prognosis of AML and APL has not been established. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine the role of BMI on the risk and clinical outcome of AML, including APL. Twenty-six eligible studies enrolling 12,971 AML (including 866 APL) patients were retrieved and analyzed. Overweight and obesity was associated with an increased incidence of AML (relative risk [RR], 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–1.35; P < 0.001). High BMI did not significantly affect overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.97; 95% CI, 0.92–1.03; P = 0.323) or disease-free survival (HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.88–1.10; P = 0.755) in patients with non-APL AML. By contrast, APL patients with high BMI had shorter OS (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.26–2.48; P = 0.001) and a higher risk of differentiation syndrome (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.03–2.27, P = 0.04). Overall, our findings suggest that patients with overweight or obesity have a higher incidence of AML, and high BMI is a predictor of adverse clinical outcomes in APL.