Michels KA, et al. - Within the US-based Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results–Medicare linked database, a case-control study was undertaken to assess ovarian/fallopian tube cancer risk in relation to metabolic syndrome and its components (obesity, impaired fasting glucose, hypertension, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides). This study included 16,850 cases diagnosed with cancer between age 68–89 and 281,878 controls (Medicare enrollees without these cancers residing in registry areas). Decreased ovarian cancer risk was observed in women with metabolic syndrome vs women not meeting the diagnostic criteria. A heightened risk was reported in correlation with having one or two syndrome components, but not in relation to having ≥ 3, vs women without any components. A reduced risk was observed in correlation with impaired fasting glucose, which was highly prevalent among those with metabolic syndrome. Increased risks were observed in relation to hypertension and high triglycerides, the most prevalent components in women without metabolic syndrome. Overall, the possible modest links of specific metabolic syndrome components with ovarian cancer were suggested. These links differed in direction. The overall link between metabolic syndrome and ovarian cancer was influenced by the prevalence of the components.