UK men with heart disease at higher risk of developing and dying from cancer

A 25-year study conducted by researchers at the University of Aberdeen and Keele University has found that men with heart disease face a significantly higher risk of developing and dying from cancer compared to women with the same condition. The study analyzed health data from 22,000 Britons and discovered that men with cardiovascular disease (CVD) had a 17.3% lifetime risk of cancer, compared to 12.8% for women.

For individuals without CVD, the respective cancer risks were 10.2% for men and 8.2% for women. The study identified smoking, obesity, and excessive alcohol consumption as the primary drivers behind male cases, with the link being most pronounced in lung and oesophageal cancers. Dr Tiberiu Pana, a cardiology specialist, explained that while the relationship between CVD and cancer has been previously known, this large-scale study allowed for a more thorough examination of the issue.

The research revealed that people with heart disease were more likely to develop gastric, oesophageal, lung, bowel, and non-melanoma skin cancers, with these types of cancer being more prevalent among men. Mamas Mamas, a professor of cardiology, emphasized the need for further research to understand the underlying reasons for this increased cancer risk in people with heart disease.

Nicola Smith, a senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, noted that both heart disease and cancer share common risk factors, such as smoking and obesity, and suggested that better pathways should be developed to identify and prevent cancer development in patients with cardiac conditions.