Skirt size increase ups breast cancer risk

Conclusion This study suggests that while obesity generally is a risk factor for breast cancer, an increase in waist circumference, as shown in skirt size, between a woman’s twenties and after the menopause, may be an independent measure of increased risk. Keeping to a healthy weight is important for overall health, and for reducing the risk of several cancers. However, few women in their 60s have the same waist size as they did in their twenties – in this study, for example, the average skirt size at 25 was a 12, but at 64 it was a size 14. The 33% increased risk of breast cancer after menopause calculated by the researchers was based on an increase in skirt size every 10 years, which could mean increasing from size 12 aged 25 to size 18 by age 55. The study had several limitations that may affect the reliability of its results. For example, it had a short follow-up period (three to four years) and it also required postmenopausal women in their 50s and 60s to recall their skirt size in their twenties. In addition, while researchers adjusted their results for several factors that might influence the risk of breast cancer, it is always possible that both measured and unmeasured confounders affected the results. Finally, most of the women were white, well-educated and also overweight when they were recruited. The results may not be generalisable to other groups of women. It’s important to maintain a healthy weight, but it would be sad if women in their sixties started...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Obesity Source Type: news