Regular physical activity lowers breast cancer risk

A new study has revealed that practicing sport for more than an hour day reduces the risk of contracting breast cancer in women of all ages.

According to a research presented to the European Breast Cancer Conference in Glasgow, women who have the highest level of daily exercise can significantly reduce their risk of contracting breast cancer.

The researchers, who examined 37 studies about breast cancer concerning more than 4 million women, said that exercising is a low-sot and simple strategy to reduce the risk of a disease that currently has a very high cost, both to healthcare systems and to patients and their families.

Professor Mathieu Boniol, research director at the International Prevention Research Institute in Lyon, France, said that adding breast cancer, including its aggressive types, to the list of diseases that can be prevented by physical activity should encourage the development of cities that foster sport by becoming bike and walk-friendly, the creation of new sports facilities, and the promotion of exercise through education campaigns.

However, the study revealed that the protective effect of exercise seemed to be cancelled out in women who were taking hormone replacement therapy.