Association between metabolic syndrome and prognosis in elderly gastric cancer patients.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and hyperglycemia. It has been linked to poor prognosis in various cancers, yet its effect on elderly gastric cancer patients remains underexplored. This study examined 826 elderly gastric cancer patients, with 314 (38.0 %) diagnosed with MetS according to Chinese Diabetes Society criteria. Following propensity score matching (PSM), 178 matched pairs were generated, yielding a total of 356 patients for analysis. Multivariate Cox regression revealed that patients with MetS had a significantly worse overall survival compared to those without (HR 3.04, 95 % CI: 2.26-4.09; P < 0.01). Furthermore, a dose-response relationship was observed, with each additional MetS component associated with a higher risk of mortality (HR 1.73, 95 % CI: 1.51-1.98). These findings suggest that MetS is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in elderly gastric cancer patients, highlighting the importance of addressing MetS to improve survival outcomes in this population.