Daily HealthBeat Tip - June 26, 2008

Actively avoiding breast cancer

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A study indicates it’s wise to start being active young to reduce the risk of breast cancer. Researchers base that on data from nearly 65,000 women.

The researchers looked at breast cancer before menopause, which is more dangerous. They checked rates among women who were active from ages 12 to 35, and women who had been inactive then.

Dr. Graham Colditz of Washington University of St. Louis:

``Women who were active from 12 to 22 and then continued on to be active through their adult years prevented about a quarter of the cases of breast cancer.’’ (10 seconds)

Colditz says it’s not too late to start being active, although the risk reduction is less for women who start later.

The study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: June, 25 2008