Women who remain physically active after the menopause can reduce their risk of developing breast cancer by as much as one third, new research has shown.
Professor Dr. Jenny Chang-Claude and colleagues studied data obtained from 3,464 breast cancer patients and 6,657 healthy women between the ages of 50 and 74 years. Participants were questioned about their physical activity levels at two periods in their life – during 30 to 49 years of age and 50 and over.
Results showed that women in the control group were generally more active than participants with breast cancer. After adjusting results for other breast cancer risk factors, it was found that women who were the most physically active were approximately one third less likely to develop breast cancer compared to women who were the least physically active. Physical activity in the postmenopausal period was found to be particularly beneficial for reducing breast cancer risk The results also showed that regular gym sessions are not needed to reduce breast cancer risk. Women who were the most physically active walked for a couple of hours each day and cycled for one hour, whilst those who were the least physically active walked for just 30 minutes or so each day.
“It doesn’t always have to be sports,” said study author Dr. Karen Steindorf. “In our calculations we have also taken account of activities such as gardening, cycling, or walking to the shops. Our advice to all women is therefore to stay or become physically active also in the second half of your life. You will not only reduce your risk of breast cancer, but it has been proven that your bones, heart and brain also benefit from it.”
News release: Reduced breast cancer risk: Physical activity after menopause pays off. Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres. January 15th 2009.
