Pancreatic cancer is associated with 5 modifiable lifestyles
- There are five modifiable lifestyles associated with the development of pancreatic cancer. This is according
to a new study published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. Study authors identified five modifiable lifestyles associated with pancreatic cancer:
· smoking cigarettes
· excessive alcohol use
· dietary indiscretions
· obesity
· physical inactivity
The study authors developed a score based of healthy lifestyles and showed that the participants with the most healthy lifestyle score had a 58% reduction in the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.
This was an observational study that included 450,416 participants age 50 to 71 years and were enrolled through the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study.
The study authors said, “the combined healthy lifestyle factors including nonsmoking, adherence to US alcohol use recommendation, healthy dietary quality as defined by adherence to the Mediterranean diet pattern excluding alcohol consumption, normal weight, and regular physical activity may have direct implications for pancreatic cancer prevention in older individuals in the United States.”
The study is limited in that some factors may not be accounted for such as genetic risk, occupational exposure, and medical history.
This study is very important in that pancreatic cancer is an important cause of mortality in the United States and these lifestyles can be easily changed with a little effort. Pancreatic cancer ranks as the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the United States. Pancreatic cancer is usually caught late and there is no standard method for screening for pancreatic cancer.
Cristopher Geiler, M.D.
May 4th 2009
References
Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:764-770.
Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press Inc; 2006:741-742.
Posted on May 5, 2009
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