Compared to women who maintained a stable weight over the 10 year study period, the risk of breast cancer was 32% lower among those who lost at least 20 pounds and kept it off. Those women who lost 20 pound but then regained some of it back still had a lower risk than those who maintained a stable weight.
The reduction in risk increased with the amount of weight lost and was specific to women not using postmenopausal hormones. But women who lost less than 20 pounds also saw a reduced cancer risk - 25% among those who lost 10 to 20 pounds and 18% for those who lost 4 to 10 pounds.
"Our results suggest that even a modest amount of sustained weight loss is associated with lower breast cancer risk for women over 50," said Lauren Teras, PhD, lead author of the study. "These findings may be a strong motivator for the two-thirds of American women who are overweight to lose some of that weight. Even if you gain weight after age 50, it is not too late to lower your risk of breast cancer."
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