Exercise and Breast Cancer
by Maia Appleby
We all know that breast cancer is highly hereditary and that
other risk factors include taking hormone replacement therapy,
drinking alcohol and undergoing radiation or frequent x-ray
therapy, but did you know that exercise can protect against
breast cancer?
Recent research, cited in the New England Journal of Medicine,
indicates that leaner women have a lower occurrence of breast
cancer than their heavier counterparts, especially if they exercise
four or more hours per week. Even women who don't exercise regularly,
but hold jobs that require a great deal of activity, have a
lower occurrence than women who sit at desks most of the day.
Why is this? Some studies have concluded that taking in calories
without burning them off can actually promote breast cancer.
It's the old domino effect. Sedentary women have more triglycerides
in their systems than active women, causing an increased exposure
to estrogen, which is a breast cancer risk factor. Keeping an
optimal energy balance by exercising and eating sensibly is
a great preventive measure women can take to lower their risks.
Of course, many active, lean women endure this disease due
to circumstances beyond their control. About 180,000 new cases
are diagnosed in the United States each year.
Age does play a role. The older a woman is, the greater her
risk. When a woman hits age 60, her chance of getting breast
cancer is 1 out of 24. Click
here to calculate your risk of getting breast cancer.
Although mortality rates are going down and medical progress
is being made, the disease still lurks. Since being a woman
is the number one risk factor of breast cancer, all women should
educate themselves on it.
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