Following a Healthy Lifestyle May Help Prevent Cancer
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Introduction
Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) is a checklist created by the American Heart Association. It includes eight simple health habits: eating healthy, staying active, avoiding smoking, getting enough sleep, managing body weight, keeping blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar in check. It’s mainly known for protecting the heart, but now it's also being looked at for its role in preventing cancer.
New Insights from a Large Health Study
A new study from China followed over 48,000 adults for more than 10 years. Researchers wanted to see how people’s LE8 scores changed over time and whether this had anything to do with cancer risk. They found that people who maintained high LE8 scores consistently were less likely to get cancer.
The study grouped people into three categories:
- Low-stable: people who always had low LE8 scores
- Moderate-stable: people who kept their scores in the middle range
- High-stable: people who had strong and steady LE8 scores
Those in the high-stable group had a lower risk of developing several types of cancer—including lung, breast, colorectal, and liver cancer.
How Much of a Difference Did It Make?
Compared to people with low LE8 scores, those with high and stable scores had:
- 21% lower overall cancer risk
- 27% lower lung cancer risk
- 51% lower breast cancer risk
- 31% lower colorectal cancer risk
- 39% lower liver cancer risk
People in the moderate-stable group also saw benefits, especially with breast and liver cancer.
Why Does Lifestyle Matter for Cancer?
Every habit in LE8 plays a role. Eating well and exercising regularly can lower inflammation in the body, which is known to contribute to cancer. Quitting smoking reduces exposure to harmful chemicals. Good sleep, a healthy weight, and balanced blood sugar and pressure all support the body’s natural defenses.
The study also found that people with high levels of inflammation (measured by a marker called CRP) got even more cancer protection from healthy LE8 scores—especially when it came to breast cancer.
A Long-Term Commitment Pays Off
What made this study different was its focus on long-term lifestyle habits, not just a single health check. That’s important because health isn’t about one-time choices—it’s about what you do day after day. Sticking to healthy habits consistently over time appears to give the best protection.
Key Takeaway
Living a healthy lifestyle over many years can do more than protect your heart—it may help reduce your risk of cancer too. By focusing on the eight simple areas in Life’s Essential 8, you can take control of your health in a way that has lasting impact.
If you’re looking for a place to start, pick just one area—like walking more or eating less processed food—and build from there. Small changes, when done regularly, can lead to powerful results.