Doctors have known for some time that regular exercise lowers the risk of cancer in both men and women. However, a new study conducted by James McClain, Ph.D. of the National Cancer Institute reports that the benefits of exercise may only result if a sufficient amount of sleep is had by women. McClain’s study reveals that lack of sleep diminishes the specific body functions that exercise enhances, including immune, metabolic and hormonal functions. So, a woman that exercises but gets less than seven hours of sleep each night may significantly lower the cancer-fighting benefits that the exercise could have provided. The study, which tracked 5,968 women age 18 and older, looked at the level of exercise and amount of sleep they received, as well as how many were diagnosed with some type of cancer. Over the ten year duration of the study, 604 of the women involved had developed cancer. When McClain analyzed his research, he found that the top 50 percent of women that exercised the most were 20 percent less likely to develop some form of cancer when compared to the women that got little or no exercise. However, even those women that were the most physically active diminished their cancer-fighting benefits if they received less than seven hours of sleep each night. Still, the overall cancer risk for women in that group that were 65 or younger was lower than those that received no exercise, no matter how many hours they slept nightly.
Although this study does not present any conclusive evidence on whether a woman’s amount of sleep has any connection with her risk of developing cancer, many experts believe that a link is very possible. This belief is based on the fact that when a person lacks an adequate amount of sleep, their immune system is less capable of fighting disease, infection and health problems, including cancer. McClain, who presented the study at the seventh annual conference of the American Association for Cancer Research along with his colleagues, stressed the importance of a healthy balance of sleep and physical activity in order to lower cancer risk. He also added that if the same study was conducted on men, similar results would most likely occur. All forms of cancer are serious and require treatment by a doctor or hospital The earlier the treatment, the better the prognosis for cancer patients, so it is important to act at the first signs of cancer and receive routine check-ups by your physician. If you or someone you love has been harmed by a delay in diagnosing or treating cancer, our cancer malpractice attorneys can help. Contact Silberstein, Awad & Miklos, serving clients with cancer malpractice cases in Nassau and Suffolk, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens. We also serve clients located in Staten Island and Westchester County.
Call us toll-free 1-877-ASK4SAM and visit www.ask4sam.net
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment