Preliminary research from Duke University (USA) has linked high cholesterol with an increased risk of breast cancer, as this organic compound acts as fuel for tumor cells. Excess cholesterol in the blood would be, in the case of women over 50 years, the main trigger of cancer , so that a simple change in diet or medication could exempt the risk of suffering from it.
Previous research had already linked obesity, which carries high cholesterol levels, with breast cancer, since women with this disorder generate a greater amount of estrogen, a hormone related to almost 75% of breast tumors . This research, however, is the first to identify the role of the cholesterol molecule in the development of the disease.
A study in mice revealed that a cholesterol metabolite called 27HC promotes, like estrogen, tumor growth in animals . The scientists compared these data with cancer tissue samples from patients and found that those with more aggressive tumors had higher levels of 27HC in their bodies. The authors also suggest that, in the case of postmenopausal women, whose body has naturally decreased estrogen production, this compound would be the main trigger for breast cancer.
The reduction of cholesterol levels is therefore decisive in the prevention and containment of breast cancer , either through a low-fat diet or through drugs that control this metabolic imbalance.
