A global study reveals 28% of years of life lost to breast cancer are linked to modifiable behaviors like smoking and red meat consumption.
Breast cancer linked to lifestyle factors
A global study has found that 28% of years of life lost due to breast cancer are attributed to six modifiable behaviors, including red meat consumption and smoking. These results highlight the importance of lifestyle choices in the prevention of this disease.Breast cancer remains prevalent
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women worldwide, with 2.3 million new cases diagnosed in 2023. An analysis has recently quantified for the first time the exact share of the global health burden attributable to modifiable behaviors.Study spans many countries
The study published in The Lancet Oncology, conducted by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, examined data from 204 countries between 1990 and 2023. Researchers measured the impact of six risk factors on what they call years of life adjusted for disability.Lifestyle factors impact significant
In 2023, breast cancer caused the loss of 24.3 million of these years worldwide. Of this total, 6.8 million years, or 28%, are directly attributable to six modifiable behaviors. This figure means concretely that one in four women among those affected by breast cancer could theoretically have avoided the disease or significantly reduced its severity by changing certain lifestyle habits.Risk factors categorized
The analysis distinguishes metabolic factors, such as obesity and high blood sugar, from pure behavioral factors such as smoking or red meat consumption.
