NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study: Impact of Diet and Lifestyle Factors on Risk of Cancer
Since 1987, the National Cancer Institute (“NCI”) and AARP have been collaborating on the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study – the largest of its kind – to understand the impact of diet and lifestyle factors on the likelihood of developing or dying from cancer.
NCI contacted AARP because of its large number of members over 50, its members’ commitment to the organization, and AARP’s commitment to promoting the health of its members. AARP assisted with many aspects of the initial cohort recruitment, including helping to contact 3.5 million AARP members by mail and offering them the opportunity to volunteer for the project while protecting their confidentiality.
The following is a list of recently published reports, which link to summaries containing key findings. Learn how this research is breaking new ground in the fight against cancer.
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Multivitamin Use and Risk of Prostate Cancer
Regular use of multivitamins does not appear to be associated with increased risk for prostate cancer. But overuse of these supplements – more than 7 times per week – may be associated with an increased risk of advanced and fatal prostate cancer. - Dietary Fat and Postmenopausal Invasive Breast Cancer
Is it something I ate? Could be. This study of 188,736 postmenopausal women finds that as the amount of fat a woman consumes increases, so does her risk of developing breast cancer. And this seems to be more pronounced in women not taking menopausal hormones. - Prospective Study of Adiposity [Body Fat] and Weight Change in Relation to Prostate Cancer Incidence and Mortality
Does being obese or even overweight increase a man's risk of developing prostate cancer and dying from it? The answer is "no" to developing the disease and "yes" to dying once it develops. - Overweight, Obesity and Mortality
Being obese can be fatal to your health. But what about being moderately overweight? Any excess body weight during midlife increases the risk of premature death. - Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Ovarian Cancer Risk
This investigation of the relationship between estrogen therapy – by itself or in combination with progestin – and the risk of developing ovarian cancer finds that the degree of risk depends on the duration of use. - Consumption of Aspartame-containing Beverages and Incidence of Hematopoietic and Brain Malignancies
Does the consumption of beverages containing the artificial sweetener aspartame increase the drinker’s risk of blood cell or brain cancer? Not necessarily.
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