Originally published September 22 2005
New study links high levels of stress to low incidence of breast cancer
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
In a perplexing new study, scientists at the National Institute of Public Health in Copenhagen, Denmark found that groups of women with higher levels of overall stress had a lower risk of breast cancer. Scientists were quick to point out that the correlation does not follow that stress is an effective response to breast cancer.
Here's news that could ease worries about breast cancer: Women with higher levels of daily stress showed a lower risk of developing the disease, according to new research.
"Even though we find a lower risk of breast cancer among stressed women, let me just emphasize that stress cannot be considered a healthy response," said study lead author Naja Rod Nielsen, a research assistant at the National Institute of Public Health in Copenhagen, Denmark.
"Stress is a large problem, especially in the westernized world, and this study may help us understand some of the mechanisms behind breast cancer and how stress actually affects breast-cancer risk," Nielsen said.
The study findings appear in the Sept. 10 issue of the British Medical Journal.
Other experts, however, urged caution when interpreting the results.
While some researchers have studied the effect of acute stress -- such as the death of a family member -- on breast cancer, less attention has been paid to the impact of routine daily stress.
During the 18 years of follow-up, 251 of the participants were diagnosed with breast cancer.
Women reporting high levels of stress were 40 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than women reporting low levels, the researchers report.
For each increase in stress level on a six-point scale, women were 8 percent less likely to develop breast cancer.
The researchers speculate that stress activates stress hormones which may, in turn, limit the body's production of estrogen, a well-known risk factor for breast cancer.
Hormone-sensitive women (such as those taking hormone therapy) are more likely to be susceptible to stress-induced changes in estrogen, which could explain why the association was more dramatic in this group, the authors said.
"One hypothesis is that prolonged activation of stress hormones can lead to lower production of estrogens, which is a main risk factor for breast cancer.
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