Learn How To Lower Your Risk for Breast Cancer
This year alone, there will be more than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer in the United States, making it the most common cancer among American women. There are ways to lessen your chances of getting the disease. And if you need even more convincing, the steps to decrease your risk of getting breast cancer can increase your overall health.
Ways to help keep breast cancer at bay:
- Control your weight. Women who are overweight or obese, especially older women, are more likely to develop breast cancer. The American Cancer Society reports that extra estrogen in fat tissue may add to the increased risk. Plus, people who are overweight tend to have higher levels of insulin, which is linked to several types of cancer.
- Be physically active. A study from the Women’s Health Initiative found that as little as 1.25 to 2.5 hours per week of brisk walking helped women lower their breast cancer risk by 18%. Not only that, the calories you burn while exercising will help you to control your weight. Exercise will also help you reduce your risk of other diseases and can improve your quality of life.
- Limit alcohol intake. Women who have one alcoholic drink per day have a slightly higher chance of developing breast cancer, compared to non-drinkers. Meanwhile, women who drink two to five alcoholic beverages per day have about 1.5 times the risk of non-drinkers, according to the American Cancer Society. If you drink, try to cut back to less than one alcoholic beverage per day to lower these risks.
Maintaining a healthy weight can help to lower these risks.
For more information, visit Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s Healthy Behaviors 
.
Sources: American Cancer Society; The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
