HHS HealthBeat (April 07, 2009)

Sleep, Exercise and Cancer

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

Staying active and getting a good night’s sleep doesn’t prevent cancer. But a study indicates they might reduce the risk.

James McClain of the National Cancer Institute bases that on 10 years of data on the sleep and activity habits of about 6,000 women who were questioned at the start of the study:

[James McClain speaks] "Among the most active women in our study – these younger, more active women – if they slept more than 7 hours, they were protected relative to those that slept less than 7 hours."

On the other hand, even active women who slept less than 7 hours had a higher risk.

Researchers continue to sort out how sleep could affect cancer risk. They’re considering things like hormones, immune function and weight.

The study was presented at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.

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: April, 08 2009