What You Need To Know (NAPSA)—Bythis timeof year, New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside for many people. But with spring right around the corner, why not show yourself some love by making your breast health a priority? One in eight women will get breast cancer’, and now is the perfect time to take charge of your health. Many women know the link between healthy habits—like losing weight, eating well and exercising—and overall wellness. But they may not realize that those same healthylifestyle factors can have a big impact on their risk for breast cancer.’ You may think that if you don’t have a family history of breast cancer, you're not at risk. Last year, Angelina Jolie’s powerful story shed light on the importance of BRCA testing among women with a strong family history of breast cancer. However, unlike Ms. Jolie, 80 percent of women who develop breast cancer have little-to-no family history. To achieve optimal breast health, here are some steps you can taketo live your healthiest. Learn Your Risk For Breast Cancer with BREVAGen". BREVAGen is a clinically-validated, noninvasive test that uses DNA analysis to more accurately predict a woman’s risk of developing sporadic, non-familial breast cancer. After a simple cheek swab and lab analysis, BREVAGen provides five-year and lifetime predictive risk assessments to more accurately evaluate a woman’s risk. It’s the first genetic risk prediction test to have been validated in a large scale, peer-reviewed, case-controlled study. Once you know yourrisk for breast cancer, you can work with your doctor to develop the screening action plan that’s right for you. Maintain a Healthy Body Weight. You probably already know that excess body weight could put you at risk for health problemslike high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol’, but did you know that obesity and weight gain are linked to breast cancer? According to the American CancerSociety, obesity increases a It’s a healthy idea for women to learn their risk for breast cancer. woman’s risk for breast cancer that develops after menopause. This risk is about 1.5 times higher in overweight women and about two times higher in obese women.? Get Physically Active. Nearly 70 percent of Americans don’t get enough physicalactivity.’ Getting a moveon is good for your heart, but you might be surprised to learn that some evidence indicates that women whoexercise regularly have a 10 to 20 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared with women who aren’t physically active.? Experts recommendat least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week.” Eat Healthy. One of the best ways to maintain a healthy weight is to eat well. Aim for at least 2.5 cups of vegetables and fruit per day, and avoid processed meat and red meat.? Quit Smoking. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health.? New research found that current smokers are at greater risk of breast cancer when compared to women who have never smoked.” There are somerisk factors that you can’t control, such as family history, age or genetics. Until there is a breakthrough curefor all types of breast cancer, one of the best things you can do for your health is to focus on what you can control: knowing yourrisk for breast cancer with the BREVAGenpredictive risk test and focusing on your modifiable risk factors like your weight, physical activity level and smoking status. To learn more about breast cancer, visit www.cancer.org and for more information on how to identify breast cancer risk, visit www.brevagen.com. References: 1. National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. Breast Cancer Risk in American Women. Accessed May 14, 2013 at http: / /www.cancer.gov / cancertopics /factsheet / Detection /probability-breast-cancer. 2. American Cancer Society. Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2013-2014. Atlanta: American Cancer Society, Inc. 2013. 3. American Heart Association. Available at www.mylifecheck.org. Accessed on January 20, 2014.
