Weight Change and Breast Cancer Risk in Women
Author Information
Author(s): Lahmann P H, Schulz M, Hoffmann K, Boeing H, Tjønneland A, Olsen A, Overvad K, Key T J, Allen N E, Khaw K-T, Bingham S, Berglund G, Wirfält E, Berrino F, Krogh V, Trichopoulou A, Lagiou P, Trichopoulos D, Kaaks R, Riboli E
Primary Institution: German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke
Hypothesis
Does long-term weight change during adulthood affect breast cancer risk in premenopausal and postmenopausal women?
Conclusion
Large weight gain in postmenopausal women not using hormone replacement therapy is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Supporting Evidence
- Weight gain was positively associated with breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women not using hormone replacement therapy.
- Women who gained 15-20 kg had a relative risk of 1.50 for breast cancer compared to those with stable weight.
- Weight change was not associated with breast cancer risk in premenopausal women.
Takeaway
Gaining a lot of weight as an adult can make older women more likely to get breast cancer, especially if they aren't taking hormone medicine.
Methodology
The study used multivariate Cox regression models to analyze weight change and breast cancer risk among women from six European countries.
Potential Biases
Potential confounding bias due to unknown risk factors not included in the analysis.
Limitations
The study had a limited follow-up period of 5.8 years and relied on self-reported weight at age 20.
Participant Demographics
The study included 98,352 women aged 20-80, with 40,429 premenopausal and 57,923 postmenopausal participants.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0002
Confidence Interval
1.06–2.13
Statistical Significance
p<0.0002
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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