Wellbeing trifecta

A European study has examined ways of reducing the risk of cancer later in life.

- Nicky Pellegrino

The chances of developing most cancers increase markedly as we get older and so it is considered a major age-related disease. Despite that, efforts at prevention for those in middle age and later life are very limited, says Dr Heike Bischoff -Ferrari. And while we know that lifestyle makes a difference, there isn’t enough research around which specific interventions are effective.

Bischoff -Ferrari is working to fill that knowledge gap. An expert in the dynamics of healthy ageing at the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland, she has been testing a combination of simple approaches that she hopes will make a difference.

The DO-HEALTH trial was a three-year study, conducted in five European countries, with 2157 older adults. They were split into groups and given either daily high-dose vitamin D3, omega 3 supplements or a simple home-exercise programme. Plus, some groups were given various combinations of those treatments.

Clinical trials have shown mixed results for the role of vitamin D and omega-3 in preventing cancer on their own. And there have been no clinical trials examining the effect of exercise on cancer prevention, until this one.

What this study has shown, however, is that combining all three treatments may have some effect, says Bischoff -Ferrari. Researchers saw an overall reduction in the risk of invasive cancer by 61% in healthy adults aged 70 or older.

The home exercise program was completed three times a week and involved simple video-guided exercises focused on building arm and leg strength. Bischoff -Ferrari says that many participants were already reasonably fit and active.