Women with high levels of daily stress are less at risk of developing breast cancer, according to research in the British Medical Journal published on Friday.

    BEIJING, Sep. 9 (Xinhuanet)-- Women with high levels of daily stress are less at risk of developing breast cancer, according to research in the British Medical Journal published on Friday.

    The researchers from Denmark who conducted the latest study say sustained high levels of stress may reduce levels of oestrogen - the female hormone - which is known to affect the development of breast cancer.

    Scientists from Denmark drew their conclusions after studying 6,689 women in Copenhagen over a period of 18 years. They were asked at the start what stress they experienced routinely in their lives, defined as tension, nervousness, impatience, anxiety or sleeplessness.

    The findings showed that for every increased level on a six-point scale, there was an 8 per cent reduction in cancer risk. There were 251 women diagnosed with breast cancer during the study period, and those with the highest stress levels had the lowest risk.

    "Prolonged-low key stress of everyday life results in a persistent activation of stress hormones which may impair oestrogen synthesis and may therefore be related to lower risk of breast cancer," they wrote.

    However, scientists warned that stress was not a health cure, given that high levels may have other damaging effects, especially in heart disease.

    The findings were at odds with studies in Finland and Sweden -- the former found no link between daily stress and breast cancer while the latter found a direct association with higher risk. Enditem

(Agencies)