Breast density changes with age, for example. On average, older women have lower density breast tissue than do younger women. The greatest change in density occurs during the menopause years. Breast density also changes with certain types of hormone therapies, such as hormone treatments for menopause.
Breast density is often inherited, but other factors can influence it. Factors associated with higher breast density include using menopausal hormone therapy and having a low body mass index. Factors associated with lower breast density include increasing age and having children.
The breasts of aging women become less dense over time, although nearly a third of all women age 65 and older still have dense breasts, Braithwaite said. The USPSTF recommends a mammogram every two years for women in the 50 to 74 age group.
Dense breast tissue is common and is not abnormal. However, dense breast tissue can make it harder to evaluate the results of your mammogram and may also be associated with an increased risk of breast cancer.
Without estrogen, the gland tissue shrinks, making the breasts smaller and less full. The connective tissue that supports the breasts becomes less elastic, so the breasts sag. Changes also occur in the nipple. The area surrounding the nipple (the areola) becomes smaller and may nearly disappear.
"During perimenopause and menopause, there are hormonal fluctuations and eventually a drop in hormones that may cause weight gain," said Dr. Wider. "As a result, some of the weight gain can occur in the breasts, resulting in enlarged breasts."
No — breast density is determined by genetics, age, menopause status and family history. Weight gain and certain medications can also influence your breast density. Though your breast density can't be changed, information is power.
How are dense breasts treated? There are currently no recommendations for reducing breast density, and there is no clear evidence that reducing breast density will reduce breast cancer risk. Talk with your doctor about whether you have dense breasts and how that may impact your breast cancer screening regimen.
50% of women have dense breast tissue, but it's more common in young women, especially those with a lower body mass index. “Genetics, body mass index and age are some of the main drivers.
Breast density is often inherited, but other factors like having children, going through menopause or using hormone replacements can change the makeup of breast tissue. Younger women typically have more dense breasts. Hormonal changes associated with menopause can make breast tissue more fatty.
Breast density for each woman was measured with mammography. They found that women who followed more of a Western diet, including consumption of high-fat dairy products, processed meats, refined grains, sweets and sweetened drinks, fast foods, and sauces, were more likely to have high breast density.
If you're one of the many women with dense breast tissue, you'll need to get extra familiar with your breasts in monthly self-exams. That's because dense tissue can feel fibrous or lumpy compared with fattier tissue, and detecting an abnormal spot can be trickier.
Several lines of evidence suggest that vitamin D may play a role in breast density and breast carcinogenesis. Vitamin D reduces proliferation and promotes differentiation and apoptosis in breast cells in culture.
Listen to pronunciation. (ek-STREEM-lee dents brest TIH-shoo) A term used to describe breast tissue that is made up of almost all dense fibrous tissue and glandular tissue. On a mammogram, the dense areas of the breast make it harder to find tumors or other changes.
Given the variability of these factors, breast density reporting can fluctuate year to year. For example, if your weight fluctuates, one year a woman may be told she has dense breasts, and the next year that they are not.
A 2014 study of more than 3,500 women found that consuming an extra 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil each day was associated with lower breast density. Salmon, sardines, and mackerel are all fish that Rothwell suggests adding to your diet because they are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
No. Fat content in what you eat and exercise do not directly change breast density. But if you lose or gain a lot of weight, your breasts can look more or less dense on your mammogram – though the amount of dense tissue will stay the same.
Combination of higher intakes of vitamin D and calcium (≥100 IU/d and ≥750 mg/d, respectively) were associated with a reduction of breast densities (OR, 0.28; 95% confidence interval, 0.15–0.54) compared with those consuming <100 IU/d and <750 mg/d.
It's the density that matters most, since the more connective and milk duct tissue there is, the higher the risk of developing cancer. The size of your breasts has no impact on the density or vice versa.
There was a significant inverse relationship between age and breast density (p < 0.001). Seventy-four percent of patients between 40 and 49 years old had dense breasts. This percentage decreased to 57% of women in their 50s.
Breast density describes the amount of fibrous and glandular tissue compared with the amount of fat. There are different levels of dense breasts. Some are more common than others. About 1 out of every 10 women have very dense breasts.
Regular exercise can help shed chest fat and strengthen the muscles underneath the breasts to reduce their size. Because the breasts contain a portion of fat, focusing on cardio and high-intensity exercises can help shed weight faster and target problem areas.
Pettersson and colleagues [1] report that the greater the non-dense breast area (regardless of the dense breast area), the lower the breast cancer risk. In other words, fatty breasts have a protective effect on breast cancer risk.