LOS ANGELES — Colon cancer is most common in Westernized countries, such as the United States and European nations. That means lifestyle has a lot to do with why the disease develops. A study published Wednesday confirms that adhering to five basic health tenets could sharply reduce the risk.
In a study of more than 55,000 Danish men and women ages 50 to 64, researchers found these five factors cut colorectal cancer risk by 23 percent:
• Not smoking.
• Drinking no more than seven alcoholic drinks a week for women and 14 drinks for men.
• A waist circumference below 34.6 inches for women and 40 inches for men.
• Consuming a healthful diet (based on four recommendations: adequate daily intake of fruits, vegetables and fiber, and limiting red and processed meat and total fat.)
• Being physically active for at least 30 minutes a day.
The participants did not have colorectal cancer at the start of the study and were followed for an average of almost 10 years to see who developed cancer (678 people).
Even modest lifestyle changes can have an effect, the authors noted. If all study participants improved their lifestyles to follow one additional recommendation, 13 percent of cases could have been avoided.
