Effect of a yearlong exercise intervention on markers of inflammatory response among postmenopausal women: Abstract No. 5496 Another approach to the association between exercise and cancer survival and prevention was presented here today by researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, led by Cornelia M. Ulrich, PhD. C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A (SAA) are signals for inflammation that have been associated with cancer risk and survival. Knowing that these biomarkers often are elevated among the overweight, the team investigated the effects of a moderately intense, yearlong exercise program on CRP and SAA. The study population consisted of 114 postmenopausal, overweight (body mass index greater than 24) and sedentary women, ages 50 to 75. About half of these performed moderate physical activity 45 minutes per day, five days a week, for one year, while the other half participated in weekly stretching exercises. The concentrations of CRP and SAA in their blood were measured at the beginning and the end of the test period. “Among obese women, those with a body mass index of 30 or higher,” Ulrich reported, “concentrations of CRP declined steadily over the course of the year from a baseline of 0.40 milligrams per deciliter to 0.32 milligrams. This effect of exercise on inflammatory markers may help to explain in part the associations observed between increased physical activity and reduced risk for cancer and other chronic disease.” AACR, 2004 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.