A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine shows that there is a significant connection between physical activity levels and reducing the risk of developing 13 different types of cancer.
The results of the study suggest that when people engage in greater levels of leisure-time physical activity, they are 20 percent less likely to develop a variety of cancers and malignancies. The researchers used self-reported surveys to verify that the subjects participated in leisure-time physical activity.
The study involved 1.44 million people from the ages of 19 to 98. The participates were based in the U.S. as well as Europe. The researchers followed and observed the individuals for an 11-year median. During that time, 187,000 new cancer cases were detected.
“Leisure-time physical activity is known to reduce risks of heart disease and risk of death from all causes, and our study demonstrates that it is also associated with lower risks of many types of cancer,” Steven Moore, who conducted the study with his colleagues, said. “Furthermore, our results support that these associations are broadly generalizable to different populations, including people who are overweight or obese, or those with a history of smoking. Health care professionals counseling inactive adults should promote physical activity as a component of a healthy lifestyle and cancer prevention.”
The study, conducted by the American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), encourages readers to improve levels of physical activity. Additionally, health professionals are recommended to incorporate physical activity as an important approach for population-wide cancer prevention, as well as control methods.
