Friday, October 11, 2013

HOW WALKING MAY LOWER BREAST CANCER RISK



HOW WALKING MAY LOWER BREAST CANCER RISK



Physical activity changes the female body and how it deals with estrogen. Walking is a physical activity that has been considered to help reduce the risk for breast cancer. It has always been a proven fact that exercise reduces all types of cancer, but we just haven't been sure what kinds and what amount would provide a sure protection. So there has been two different test that took place to provide evidence. These tests included a detailed health and medical information from more than 73,600 postmenopausal women. The women were in between the age of 50 and 73; and for two decades they completed follow-up questionaries every two years. As stated in the article, "The questionnaires asked, among other things, for detailed descriptions of how the women spent their leisure time and in particular whether and how they exercised. About 9 percent reported never exercising. A few said that they exercised vigorously and often, typically by running, swimming or playing singles tennis. But most walked, usually at a pleasant pace of about 3 miles per hour. About half of the group reported that such strolling was their only form of exercise."  Unfortunately over the course of the study, 4,760 women still developed breast cancer. So when the doctors went back and looked at regimens and medical records again, they found that the women who walked at least 7 hours per week, had 14 percent less risk of developing breast cancer than those who walked fewer than 3 hours a week. Meanwhile, the most active women who worked out vigorously for 10 hours a week, had better benefits, with 25 percent less risk of developing breast cancer than those who exercised less. 



Another study looked at younger women. This study divided several sedentary premenopausal women into two groups. One group remained sedentary, while the other began a moderate exercise program that met 5 times a week for 16 weeks. At the start and end, the researchers collected urine and tested for levels of estrogen and estrogen metabolites. It is known that a ratio amount of metabolites in a woman's urine indicates a heightened risk of breast cancer. The volunteers who remained sedentary showed no changes in the ratios. However, the group that exercised, levels of metabolites fell and another rose. The shifting ratios indicate a less chance of breast cancer. I believe exercise will help reduce the chances of women getting breast cancer and I think more women should take this into consideration and start exercising regularly. 








Quarshona Collins
October 11, 2013 
12: 40 pm


http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/09/how-walking-may-lower-breast-cancer-risk/?ref=health

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