The True Face of the Pyramid; Physical Activity Level and Cardiovascular Risk in Patients With Breast Cancer

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Many risk factors are thought to be important in the development of CVD; however, some risk factors can be controlled. Regular physical activity (PA) is recommended for the entire population for the primary prevention of CVD. PA and physical health are also believed to reduce other CVD risk factors such as body mass index, blood pressure and stress. Although oncological outcome is the most important factor for breast cancer survivors, CVD has emerged as an important cause of death among them. In particular, CVD mortality is known to increase 7 years after breast cancer diagnosis, and death due to CVD is more common in older patients than death from cancer. Higher levels of physical activity compared to low levels measured prior to breast cancer diagnosis were associated with statistically significantly lower all-cause mortality among women diagnosed with breast cancer. For breast cancer survivors, increasing PA during and after treatment has been reported to be safe and effective in improving cancer survival, alleviating cancer-related symptoms and improving quality of life. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effect of PA on cardiovascular outcomes in long-term breast cancer survivors.