High cholesterol is
always a culprit for many health issues. Now, a new finding is also added to
the list of risks of high cholesterol. High cholesterol can lead to growth and
spread of breast cancer, says a report of IANS. According to the members of
Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke, a byproduct of
cholesterol functions like the hormone estrogen to fuel the growth and spread
of breast cancer in women.
"A lot of studies
have shown a connection between obesity and breast cancer, and specifically
that elevated cholesterol is associated with breast cancer risk, but no
mechanism has been identified," said senior author Donald McDonnell, chair
of the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke. "What we
have now found is a molecule - not cholesterol itself, but an abundant
metabolite of cholesterol - called 27HC that mimics the hormone estrogen and
can independently drive the growth of breast cancer," added McDonnell.
It is also said that there is a strong link
between high cholesterol and breast cancer in women, especially in
post-menopausal women, reports femalefirst.co.uk. The hormone estrogen feeds an
estimated 75 percent of all breast cancers in women. In a key earlier finding
from McDonnell's lab, researchers determined that 27-hydroxycholesterol behaved
similarly to estrogen in animals.
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| High Cholesterol & Breast Cancer: Are They Linked? |
Diet: Your diet is an important factor that contributes to the risks of high
cholesterol. Eating too much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol will
definitely contribute to a high amount of cholesterol in your body. Include
more vegetables and fruits in your diet and make it well-balanced.
Obesity: It is proved that obesity is the most common factor that causes high
cholesterol and thereby increase risk of breast cancer in women. Reduce your
weight and bring it to a normal body mass index. This itself will contribute a
lot to reduce your cholesterol level.
Junk foods: Now a day, junk foods are becoming very common even among
children. Junk foods may satisfy your taste buds, but it doesn’t have anything
good for your body. It is better to avoid canned processed food, so that you
can reduce the risks of high cholesterol and prevent breast cancer in women.
Genetics: In many cases your hereditary is the main reason for the risks of high
cholesterol and breast cancer in women. In this case, you cannot do anything
else other than concentrating more on your diet and lifestyle to bring the
cholesterol levels in normal range.
Lifestyle: Your lifestyle is all about your life and living. Design your lifestyle
in such a way that it is healthy for both your mind and body. Focus on your
food habits, physical activities and routine health checkups. Follow a healthy
lifestyle, so that you can control the risks of high cholesterol and prevent
breast cancer in women.
Lack of exercise: Lack of physical activity is another major
reason for the increased incidence of risks of high cholesterol. Increased
cholesterol will eventually lead to breast cancer in women, especially if you
have a predisposition factor for it.
Habits: Your habits also have direct impact in increasing the risks of high
cholesterol. Smoking increases LDL cholesterol, which is notorious as ‘bad
cholesterol.’ Increased alcohol consumption will also cause an increase in LDL
cholesterol and decrease in HDL cholesterol. Be clean in your habits and reduce
the risks of high cholesterol.
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