Researchers at the University of Aberdeen and Keele University analyzed health data spanning 25 years to examine the relationship between cardiovascular disease and cancer risk. The study population included approximately 22,000 British participants, with about 11,000 having cardiovascular disease at the study’s start or developing it over the subsequent three decades.
Findings revealed significant gender differences in cancer outcomes among those with heart disease. Men with cardiovascular disease faced a lifetime cancer risk of 17.3%, substantially higher than the 12.8% risk observed in women with the condition. For comparison, men without cardiovascular disease showed a 10.2% cancer risk, while women without the condition had an 8.2% risk.
The research identified smoking, obesity and excessive alcohol consumption as major contributing factors to the elevated cancer risk in men. Analysis of non-reproductive cancers revealed heightened rates of gastric, oesophageal, lung, bowel and non-melanoma skin cancers among those with heart disease, with these conditions being more pronounced in male patients. Men with cardiovascular disease showed increased mortality risk specifically from gastric, oesophageal and lung cancers compared to those without heart disease.
Researchers attributed the increased cancer risk to overlapping factors between cardiovascular disease and cancer development. The results were published in the European Heart Journal. Experts noted that while cardio-oncology services have traditionally focused on preventing cardiovascular complications in cancer patients, improved pathways are needed to identify and prevent cancer in patients with existing cardiac conditions. Health authorities emphasized that proven preventive measures including smoking cessation, weight management and reduced alcohol consumption remain important for reducing both cancer and heart disease risk.
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