Fit middle-aged men have lower cancer risk

Conclusion This study shows that cardiovascular fitness is likely to reduce men's chances of developing lung and colorectal cancer, and appears to boost survival from cancer or cardiovascular disease in those diagnosed after the age of 65. This was based on comparing the top 40% of fittest men with the 20% least fit. The study focused on fitness and took account of major risk factors for cancer, such as smoking and blood pressure. However, it left out one important risk factor: diet. What people eat and drink is known to affect cancer risk. The fittest group may also have been the healthiest in terms of eating well and drinking alcohol within safe limits. This probably accounted for some of the risk reductions seen in this study. What proportion? We don't know.  This, in effect, makes this a study of healthiness incorporating fitness and diet. The evidence that eating well and being active reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes is already well established. Studies have also shown regular physical activity also benefits our mental health. Read more about reducing your cancer risk. Although fitter men over the age of 65 diagnosed with cancer had better survival rates, there are other unmeasured factors that could have contributed. It is not known whether the fitter people were diagnosed with cancer at an earlier stage, which would have increased their chance of survival. There was also a counterintuitive finding worth noting. The fittest group wer...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Cancer Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news