Exercise reduces breast cancer risk

Girls and young women who exercise regularly substantially lower their risk of developing breast cancer before the menopause, researchers have said.

The study of nearly 65,000 women found those who were physically active had a 23% lower risk of developing breast cancer before the menopause than those who were not.

Professor Graham Colditz, who led the study, said the results were "one more reason to encourage young girls and women to exercise regularly".

The study, by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis and Harvard University in Boston, found high levels of physical activity from ages 12 to 22 contributed most strongly to the lower breast cancer risk.

"We don't have a lot of prevention strategies for pre-menopausal breast cancer, but our findings clearly show that physical activity during adolescence and young adulthood can pay off in the long run by reducing a woman's risk of early breast cancer," Prof Colditz, associate director of prevention and control at the Siteman Cancer Centre at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, said.

"This is just one more reason to encourage young girls and women to exercise regularly."

Of the 64,777 women involved in the study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 550 had been diagnosed with breast cancer after six years.

Jackie Harris, a breast health nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Care, said the results supported previous research which showed the benefits of regular exercise in reducing breast cancer risk.

Ms Harris also added that a balanced diet and keeping within a healthy weight range also helped maintain good health.

The benefit of exercise was not linked to a particular sport or intensity but related to total activity, the researchers said. The levels of physical activity reported by the most active women were the equivalent of running 3.25 hours a week or walking 13 hours a week.

Share this article

Send this article to a friend »

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Reddit
• Facebook
• StumbleUpon

What are these?