Healthy Lifestyle Linked to Lower Risk of 13 Cancer Types

Original Article: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/healthy-lifestyle-linked-lower-risks-13-cancer-types-2026a1000zk5

The Study

A study published in the British Journal of Cancer examined how lifestyle habits relate to cancer risk. Researchers analyzed data from 287,745 UK Biobank participants over an average follow-up of 11.5 years. They assessed five lifestyle factors: smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI). The goal was to understand whether combining healthier habits was associated with a lower risk of different cancers.

What Researchers Found

During the study, 12,947 participants developed cancer. People who followed four or five healthy lifestyle behaviors had lower risks of 13 cancer types than those who followed zero or one. These included cancers of the mouth, throat, voice box, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum, liver, pancreas, lungs, kidneys, and bladder, as well as soft tissue sarcoma and breast cancer after menopause. Smoking and excess body weight were associated with the largest number of cancer types.

Why This Matters

Cancer risk is influenced by many factors, including age, genetics, and environmental exposures. However, these findings suggest that lifestyle habits may be important ways to reduce risk across several cancers. Avoiding tobacco, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a balanced diet, staying physically active, and limiting alcohol may provide benefits when practiced together.

The Takeaway

Following several healthy lifestyle habits was associated with a lower risk of 13 types of cancer. Although lifestyle changes cannot prevent every cancer, reducing tobacco use and maintaining a healthy weight may be especially important. Because this was an observational study, the findings show associations rather than proving that lifestyle changes directly caused the lower risks.