Weight Gain Influences Risk of Breast Cancer
Gaining weight during adult life increases the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women, according to a recent study. These risks hold true even if a person remains within a normal weight range, according to researchers.
Investigators studied weight gain in 87,143 women in the Nurses' Health Study who were followed for up to 24 years. Women who gained ≥25 kg (55 lb) since age 18 were about 1.5 times more likely to develop breast cancer than women who maintained their weight. The association was stronger among women who did not take postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy.
Overall, about 15% of breast cancer cases are attributable to weight gain, according to researchers. “In addition to other known benefits of healthy weight, our results provide another reason for women approaching menopause to maintain or lose weight,” they conclude.
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