It’s never too late to benefit from dropping excess pounds. In a recent, large study, losing weight was linked to a lower risk for endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women older than age 50. The average age of diagnosis for this cancer is 60.
Endometrial cancer, which affects the lining of the uterus, is the most common gynecologic cancer in women in the U.S. Of all cancers that strike women, it’s also the one most strongly associated with obesity.
In the study, the benefit of weight loss was greatest for older women who started out obese. Those who intentionally lost at least 5 percent of their body weight saw their endometrial cancer risk decrease by 56 percent.
First Study to Focus on Postmenopausal Women
The study included more than 36,000 postmenopausal women. Researchers recorded their weights at the outset and again three years later. If women had lost weight, researchers asked whether they had done so on purpose. That’s important, because losing weight without trying could have been a sign they were already ill.
Researchers then tracked the women for an average of 11 years to find out who developed endometrial cancer. Even a small intentional weight loss—as little as 10 pounds for a 200-pound woman—was linked to a lower risk. In contrast, women who gained 10 or more pounds had a 26 percent higher risk of getting endometrial cancer. |