Updated October 6th, 2020

Double Whammy: Heart Attack Associated with Seven Times Higher Cancer Risk in New Study

In a new study people who had heart attacks, heart failure, or an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation had a seven times higher risk of developing cancer.

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As if heart disease and cancer the two leading causes of death in the country were not devastating enough on their own, a new study has found that the likelihood of facing both in one’s lifetime is far higher than anyone would like to believe.

People who have heart disease, including a heart attack, heart failure or an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, may have more than a sevenfold increased risk for getting cancer, according to results of a new study presented at American Heart Association's big annual meeting of heart doctors.

"This tells us that we, as physicians, should be aggressive in trying to reduce cardiovascular risk factors not only to prevent heart disease, but also to consider cancer risk at the same time," said Dr. Emily Lau of the Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the authors of the study, explained about the research.

The new study used data from over 12,000 people who had neither cancer nor heart disease at the beginning of the study to calculate that people who are at risk for a heart attack are also (from the start) at a higher risk of getting cancer.

“The data presented [in the new study] is simultaneously fascinating and thought-provoking,” Dr. J. Emanuel Finet, a transplant cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet. Dr. Finet, who was not involved in this particular study, but whose work focuses on the link between cancer and heart disease, went on to explain, “besides confirming that common risk factors lead to a common cardiovascular disease and cancer incidence, it goes beyond as to link the presence of cardiovascular biomarkers and previous cardiovascular events with incidence of malignancy.” Dr. Finet explained how the study suggests that the risks of developing cancer and heart disease are linked through more than just the risk factors they have in common, although more research is needed to really define the nature of the relationship.

7 Ways to Cut Your Risk of Heart Disease -- And, In Turn, Cancer

The good news with these risk factors is that we can avoid them with simple choices. The American Heart Association's "Life's Simple 7" ways that people can cut their risk for heart disease include:

Managing blood pressure
Controlling your cholesterol
Reducing your blood sugar
Staying active
Shedding extra weight
Avoiding cigarettes

What’s Behind the Link?

Even though Dr. Lau was careful to explain that this study was an association study — meaning it doesn't prove anything about whether heart disease causes cancer or vice versa — she did suggest that it could lead to further research about a biological link between the two conditions.

What doctors do know with certainty, however and this is really when it comes to preventing both conditions is that a lot of the lifestyle factors that increase the risk of heart disease also increase the risk of cancer. “Several risk factors such as age, smoking, diabetes mellitus, and obesity are established risk factors for both cancer and cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Finet told SurvivorNet.

These common risk factors also include:

Smoking
A lack of physical exercise
Poor diet

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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