healthy habits to cut breast cancer risk
Women who maintain certain breast-healthy habits can lower their risk of breast cancer, even if a close relative has had the disease.
The three crucial habits namely engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and drinking alcohol in moderation, if at all, have shown to help protect against breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Whether or not one has a family history, the risk of breast cancer is lower for women engaged in these three sets of behaviour compared to women who were not.
Researchers wanted to look at the effects of lifestyle habits on breast cancer risk. They analysed data on American women aged 50 to 79 years. During 5.4 years of follow-up, 1,997 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. The researchers excluded women with a personal history of breast cancer or with a family history of early-onset cancer (diagnosed before age 45), and then looked for the impact of the healthy habits. Excluding those with an early-onset family history makes sense, because a stronger genetic (versus environmental) component is thought to play a role in early-onset.
It was found that following all three habits reduced the risk of breast cancer for women with and without a late-onset family history. For women who had a family history and adhered to all these behaviours, about six of every 1,000 women got breast cancer over a year's time.
In comparison, about seven of every 1,000 women developed breast cancer each year if they had a late-onset family history and followed none of the behaviours. Among women without a family history who followed all three habits, about 3.5 of every 1,000 were diagnosed with breast cancer annually, compared to about 4.6 per 1,000 per year for those without a family history who followed none of the habits.
The researchers considered regular physical activity to be 20 minutes of heart-rate raising exercise at least five times a week. Moderate alcohol intake was defined as fewer than seven drinks a week. A healthy body weight was defined in the standard way, having a body mass index, or BMI, of under 25.
The three crucial habits namely engaging in regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and drinking alcohol in moderation, if at all, have shown to help protect against breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Whether or not one has a family history, the risk of breast cancer is lower for women engaged in these three sets of behaviour compared to women who were not.
Researchers wanted to look at the effects of lifestyle habits on breast cancer risk. They analysed data on American women aged 50 to 79 years. During 5.4 years of follow-up, 1,997 women were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. The researchers excluded women with a personal history of breast cancer or with a family history of early-onset cancer (diagnosed before age 45), and then looked for the impact of the healthy habits. Excluding those with an early-onset family history makes sense, because a stronger genetic (versus environmental) component is thought to play a role in early-onset.
It was found that following all three habits reduced the risk of breast cancer for women with and without a late-onset family history. For women who had a family history and adhered to all these behaviours, about six of every 1,000 women got breast cancer over a year's time.
In comparison, about seven of every 1,000 women developed breast cancer each year if they had a late-onset family history and followed none of the behaviours. Among women without a family history who followed all three habits, about 3.5 of every 1,000 were diagnosed with breast cancer annually, compared to about 4.6 per 1,000 per year for those without a family history who followed none of the habits.
The researchers considered regular physical activity to be 20 minutes of heart-rate raising exercise at least five times a week. Moderate alcohol intake was defined as fewer than seven drinks a week. A healthy body weight was defined in the standard way, having a body mass index, or BMI, of under 25.
Labels: breast cancer risk, healthy habits, to cut
posted by G S Iyer at 1:10 AM
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