Increased physical activity linked to reduced breast cancer risk

Increased physical activity linked to reduced breast cancer risk, new study shows 

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Boosting your physical activity may likely decrease your risk of breast cancer, a new international study released in British Journal of Sports Medicine shows.

More than 100,000 women participated in the study, which found that a higher level of physical activity or movement was linked to a 41 per cent reduction of breast cancer risk.

In pre-menopausal and perimenopausal women (between 35-45), vigorous physical activity at least three days a week was associated with a 38 per cent reduction risk of breast cancer compared to no physical activity. 

Researchers from Australia, the UK and US used the Mendelian randomisation technique to demonstrate causality. Genetic variants were used as proxies for traits; in this study, researchers measured physical activity and time spent sitting or reclining.

The study included data from 130,957 women, 76,505 of whom had breast cancer, while collecting data from the UK Biobank and 76 other studies managed by the Breast Cancer Association Consortium.

Senior author of the study, Associate Prof Brigid Lynch of Cancer Council Victoria, believes the new study “suggests that it is certainly a causal effect: physical activity does reduce your risk of developing breast cancer”.

“There has always been a little bit of uncertainty as to whether physical activity truly causes a lower rate of breast cancer or whether that relationship is confounded by other factors,” she told The Guardian. 

Lynch said every 100 minutes of sedentary time per day caused a 20 per cent risk increase in breast cancer overall, and a doubling of risk for triple-negative breast cancer.

An increase in physical activity is believed to reduce the risk of breast cancer as it lowers oestrogen and androgen hormone levels in the bloodstream. 

The study was confined to only women of European ancestry, though Lynch insisted that studies from Asia and the US of women from non-European ancestries have revealed similar links between increased physical activity and a reduced risk in breast cancer.  

In Australia, roughly 5-10 per cent of breast cancer cases are believed to be hereditary, when a gene mutation has been transmitted directly from a parent. 

A range of factors may increase the risk of breast cancer, including family history and genetic susceptibility.

According to some studies, minimising alcohol intake, keeping a healthy weight and breastfeeding are also associated with lowering the risk of breast cancer. 

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