HHS HealthBeat (June 19, 2012)

Obesity and inflammation

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A study that looked at blood markers for risks of cancer and heart disease indicates that postmenopausal women who could stand to lose some weight could improve their risks by shedding some pounds.

At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Anne McTiernan examined levels of inflammation markers such as C-reactive protein in 439 women. They were in a yearlong reduced calorie weight loss intervention to lose up to 10 percent of their weight, an exercise program, or both:

“Women who lost weight reduced their levels of inflammation by up to a third. And this is really significant, because it’s more than any other type of medicine could produce.”

The study in the journal Cancer Research was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at healthfinder.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: June 18, 2012