Men with cardiovascular disease are at greater risk of developing cancer and dying from it than women, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal.
Researchers from Keele University and the University of Aberdeen analyzed data from over 20,000 people over 25 years, finding that men with cardiovascular disease have a higher risk of cancer incidence and death across all cancer subtypes, with lung and colorectal cancers posing the highest risk. This is the first study to identify how sex affects the relationship between cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Gender Differences in Cancer Risk
Dr Tiberiu Pana, Specialty Registrar in Cardiology at NHS Grampian and Honorary Early Career Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen, said: "We examined how men and women differed in their risk of cancer incidence and death over more than 25 years."
"We found that cancer incidence and death were higher in people with cardiovascular disease than in those without – a relationship we already knew a bit about," he added.
"We have identified clear differences between men and women across a range of factors in those with cardiovascular disease and all types of cancer. We found that men had a higher incidence of both getting cancer in the first place and sadly, also in dying from it, and this was particularly true among people with cardiovascular disease. Although the pattern was the same across all subtypes of cancer, this was most pronounced in lung and oesophageal cancers."
Implications for Prevention
The team suggests the link between cardiovascular disease and cancer is likely enabled through negative lifestyle risk factors, such as smoking, obesity, and alcohol consumption. Researchers said it is important to target these risks as early as possible to avoid heart disease or cancer.
Professor Mamas Mamas, Professor of Cardiology at Keele University, said it is now becoming evident that patients with cardiovascular risk are at increased risk of cancer, with important sex differences in cancer types. He said: "We need to better understand the driver of cancer development in these populations. Furthermore, while cardio-oncology services have focussed mainly on cancer patients preventing the development of cardiovascular diseases, we need better pathways that can identify and prevent cancer development in patients with cardiac conditions."
Professor Phyo Myint, Chair in Old Age Medicine at the University of Aberdeen, led the research. The team examined the health records of 22,534 people in the UK over a 25-year period using the EPIC-Norfolk database. Professor Myint proposes incorporating early cardiovascular disease screening as a cancer preventative strategy, particularly in men, given the results of this study. He added: "More needs to be done to improve risk management, targeted screening and prevention to address this health inequality."
