By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Diabetes is regarded as one of the incurable diseases of the modern day. It is recommended that people with the disease regularly monitor their blood sugar level and make sure they do not have other disorders, because diabetes can worsen the symptoms of other conditions and cause complications in treatment.
A recent research study is suggesting that there is now another reason to watch out for the disease. The study found that menopausal women with a high level of insulin have a greater chance of becoming victims of breast cancer.
After an eight-year study of 5,450 older women, Prof. Geoffrey Kabat of Yeshiva University found that 109 were diagnosed with breast cancer during the period. Kabat's findings were released in the online edition of the International Journal of Cancer.
The results showed a high level of correlation between breast cancer and diabetes. Tests have shown that high insulin among animals prompts the growth of tumors, but whether those results are applicable to humans has so far been controversial. But Kabat's findings have given credence to the assumption, the Korean medical portal Kormedi.com reported.
Kabat also found that diabetes has a greater correlation than obesity in causing breast cancer. In fact, thin women are more susceptible to the disease than those who are obese.
Kabat stressed the importance of regular exercise and a healthy diet in preventing breast cancer. Son Ho-young of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital told The Korea Times that regular exercise and a diet that includes lots of vegetables is crucial for preventing diabetes.