According to new research published Tuesday in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, post-menopausal women who lose even the slightest amount of weight have a reduced risk of developing breast cancer.
Over the years, scientists have found that obesity is one of the risk factors of breast cancer in post-menopausal women. However, the current research has found scientific evidence that losing weight could help cut this risk.
Lead study author Lauren Teras from the American Cancer Society said, “What we found was that indeed, women who lost weight and kept it off had a lower risk of breast cancer than women who stayed the same weight.”
It is estimated that at least two in three American women are either obese or overweight, increasing their risk of developing breast cancer.
The researchers looked at the findings of the 10 different studies, which included more than 180,000 women in their climacteric age, for almost 10 years. They found that more than 7,000 post-menopausal women received the diagnosis of breast cancer.
The participants’ weight was measured at the start, middle and end of the research to determine whether weight loss had any effect on reducing the risk of breast cancer.
The authors found that post-menopausal women who lost just 4.5 pounds and sustained it were found to have a 13 percent reduction in the risk of developing breast cancer.
Teras found that women who lost around 20 pounds had a 25 percent reduction in breast cancer risk.
Breast Oncologist Dr. Jennifer Ligibel at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who was not a part of the research, said, “This is a really hopeful study. It suggests that there are things that individuals can do to potentially modify their risk of developing breast cancer.”
However, the study did not prove cause and effect, meaning it did not show the exact connection between weight loss and reduced breast cancer risk.
Nevertheless, experts believe that the findings are important and provide clinicians with a piece of scientific evidence so they can recommend patients to lose weight. Karen Basen-Engquis from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center said, “It gives us more certainty and more confidence that losing weight, even after a certain age, is associated with a lower risk.”
