Susanna C. Larsson
PhD, Associate Professor Susanna C. Larsson
IMM Institute of Environmental Medicine- Work:
- +46 8 524 860 59
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Diet and lifestyle in relation to risk of chronic disease
My research mainly focuses on examining the association between diet and lifestyle factors and the risk of developing cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Research findings on diet and colorectal cancer include positive associations with intakes of red meat and heme iron and decreased risk associated with high intakes of dietary folate, vitamin B6, magnesium, calcium, conjugated linoleic acid, dairy foods, and whole grains. Furthermore, we have observed a reduction in colorectal cancer risk associated with physical activity and long-term aspirin use.
With regard to pancreatic cancer we have observed increased risks with cigarette smoking, obesity, and diabetes as well as with high consumption of red meat, sugar, and soft drinks. We have found a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer associated with high intakes of dietary folate and methionine, both of which are important dietary methyl group donors involved in DNA synthesis and DNA methylation.
For gastric cancer, we have observed inverse associations with intakes of fruits and vegetables, carotenoids, retinol, and vitamin A and an increased risk associated with high consumption of processed meat.
Findings for breast cancer show an increased risk associated with type 2 diabetes and fried meat consumption and an inverse association with intakes of dietary alpha-carotene and beta-carotene among smokers.
With regard to stroke, we have observed inverse associations with consumption of fish, chocolate and coffee and positive associations with processed meat consumption. Moreover, we have found a lower risk of stroke associated with high intakes of potassium and magnesium.
Other selected findings include inverse associations between coffee consumption and risk of liver cancer and between magnesium intake and risk of type 2 diabetes.
Most research findings are based on data from the Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men.
Teaching experience
General Epidemiology: graduate students in the programs of Nutrition, Toxicology, Biomedicine, and Public Health at Karolinska Institutet.
Nutritional Epidemiology: graduate students in the Human Nutrition Programme at Karolinska Institutet/Stockholm University.
Diet, lifestyle and cancer: graduate students in the Toxicology Programme at Karolinska Institutet.
Education
2006 PhD in Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet.
2005 Lic Med in Epidemiology, Karolinska Institutet.
2002 MSc in Nutrition, Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet.
Ten selected publications
Chocolate consumption and risk of stroke in women.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2011;58:1828-9.
Vitamin B6 and risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective studies.
JAMA 2010;303:1077-83.
Excess body fatness: an important cause of most cancers.
LANCET 2008;371:536-7.
Folate and risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis.
J Natl Cancer Inst 2007;99:64-76.
Folate intake, MTHFR polymorphisms, and risk of esophageal, gastric, and pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis.
Gastroenterology 2006;131:1271-83.
Processed meat consumption and stomach cancer risk: a meta-analysis.
J Natl Cancer Inst 2006;98:1078-87.
Folate intake and pancreatic cancer incidence: a prospective study of Swedish women and men.
J Natl Cancer Inst 2006;98:407-13.
Diabetes mellitus and risk of colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis.
J Natl Cancer Inst 2005;97:1679-87.
Magnesium intake in relation to risk of colorectal cancer in women.
JAMA 2005; 293:86-9.
Dietary folate intake and incidence of ovarian cancer: the Swedish Mammography Cohort.
J Natl Cancer Inst 2004;96:396-402.
