Health

Lifestyle Choices Influence Your Breast Cancer Risk

A favorable lifestyle was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer, according to a study of more than 90,000 women.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Researchers in the United Kingdom, recognizing that almost a quarter of breast cancers are preventable, sought to understand changeable risk factors. What roles are played by lifestyle factors such as:

• exercise
• weight
• alcohol
• oral contraceptives
• hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Here’s what the investigators did: They reviewed over 90,000 white, post-menopausal women in the United Kingdom Biobank. The study is an ongoing one that looks at the contributions of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors in disease. Just over 2,700 women developed breast cancer at a median follow-up of ten years.

To better understand the study, we begin with a review of the researchers’ statistical techniques. If you just rolled your eyes, skip down to the findings section.