Lifestyle Interventions for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction in Women with Breast Cancer

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women with breast cancer and review healthy lifestyle behaviors as essential risk reduction strategies.FindingsWomen with breast cancer account for 22% of the 12 million cancer survivors. Women diagnosed with breast cancer often present with modifiable and non-modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and/or pre-existing co-morbid illness. Any one or a combination of these factors may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. There is strong evidence that healthy eating and routine physical activity can reduce cardiovascular disease. Exercise improves cardiovascular fitness, body composition and quality of life in breast cancer survivors and observational studies suggest a survival benefit.Clinical Implications:Lifestyle interventions including a healthy diet, regular physical activity, weight management and smoking cessation should be integrated into a survivorship care plan to reduce cardiovascular disease risk and promote better health for women with breast cancer.

Body mass index, physical activity, and mortality in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer: Results from the Women's Health Initiative

“…Furthermore, there is definitive evidence of physical activity favorably affecting other cancer outcomes such as quality of life indices and other important clinical outcomes in breast cancer survivors. Specifically, exercise has been shown to improve cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, depression, risk of cardiovascular disease, risk of breast and colorectal cancer mortality, and overall quality of life, as well as other physical side effects including lymphedema[34–36]. Few studies have been conducted in women at high risk for poor quality of life, in particular, women diagnosed with ovarian cancer; yet an NCI-funded study is in progress to examine the effect of exercise vs. control on quality of life and biomarkers in women diagnosed with ovarian cancer (personal communication, Melinda Irwin, R01-CA138556).…”

The Yale Fitness Intervention Trial in female cancer survivors: Cardiovascular and physiological outcomes

“…1,19,20 Exercise has been shown to stabilize or prevent weight gain in healthy women 21 improves insulin resistance, 22 decreases the risk of diabetes 23 improves lipid profile 24,25 and reduces overall cardiovascular disease risk. 26 For cancer survivors, physical activity has been shown to improve aerobic capacity, quality of life, strength, fatigue and depression, although there are wide variations in the exercise protocols in terms of duration, intensity, and types of delivery.…”

Cardiovascular and Cancer Risk: The Role of Cardio-oncology

“…Advanced practitioners are uniquely situated to address this gap in care. Promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, healthy diet, smoking cessation, and stress management) are important therapeutic strategies to the long-term survival of this vulnerable population Knobf & Coviello, 2011). l…”