Key result
Living at the highest versus lowest moderate altitude levels decreased incidence and mortality of male colorectal cancer (by 24.0% and 44.2%) and female breast cancer (by 6.5% and 26.2%).
Why the study?
Living at moderate altitude may confer health benefits, but altitude-dependent incidence and mortality rates of male colorectal and female breast cancer in the context of lifestyle differences remained to be determined.
Does living at moderate altitude reduce the incidence and mortality of male colorectal and female breast cancer?
Observational (n=42,950)
Does living at moderate altitude reduce the incidence and mortality of male colorectal and female breast cancer?
Living at moderate altitude is associated with reduced incidence and mortality from male colorectal and female breast cancer, potentially mediated by lifestyle factors like physical activity and BMI.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Higher altitude residence linked to lower colorectal/breast cancer rates should not change practice; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective confirmation.
BACKGROUND: Living at moderate altitude may be associated with health benefits, including reduced mortality from male colorectal and female breast cancer. We aimed to determine altitude-dependent incidence and mortality rates of those cancers and put them in the context of altitude-associated lifestyle differences. METHODS: = 33,803 and 9147) from altitude categories between 250 to about 2000 m were extracted from official Austrian registries across 10 years (2008-2017). Altitude-associated differences in health determinants were derived from the Austrian Health Interview Survey (2014). RESULTS: The age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of male colorectal cancer decreased by 24.0% and 44.2%, and that of female breast cancer by 6.5% and 26.2%, respectively, from the lowest to the highest altitude level. Higher physical activity levels and lower body mass index for both sexes living at higher altitudes were found. CONCLUSIONS: Living at a moderate altitude was associated with a reduced incidence and (more pronounced) mortality from colorectal and breast cancer. Our results suggest a complex interaction between specific climate conditions and lifestyle behaviours. These observations may, in certain cases, support decision making when changing residence.
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Burtscher et al. (2021) conducted an observational in Male colorectal and female breast cancer (n=42,950). Moderate altitude residence vs. Lowest altitude level was evaluated on Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates of male colorectal and female breast cancer. Living at the highest versus lowest moderate altitude levels decreased incidence and mortality of male colorectal cancer (by 24.0% and 44.2%) and female breast cancer (by 6.5% and 26.2%).
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