Worse cardiovascular disease risk scores or cardiovascular health metrics predict greater cancer risk, despite heterogeneity in cardiovascular disease risk metrics and cancer types, according to a study published July 15 in JACC: CardioOncology. The association was particularly strong with lung and colorectal cancers.

Gretell Henriquez-Santos, MD, et al., analyzed 13 studies: three evaluated cardiovascular disease risk scores (10-year ASCVD/PCE, SCORE and Framingham Risk Score), which include nonmodifiable risk factors like age and sex, and nine evaluated cardiovascular health metrics (AHA Life's Simple 7 and AHA Life's Essential 8), which focus on modifiable factors. One evaluated both.

The studies comprised a total patient population of 970,527 – reporting on 387-11,643 cancer events. Mean age was 52.8 years, and 10 studies either included only women or more women than men.

Results over a median follow-up of 8.1-29.6 years showed that in most studies, higher cardiovascular disease risk scores were "consistently associated with increased cancer risk incidence" (Hazard Ratios [HR], 1.16-3.71) while ideal cardiovascular health metrics were associated with reduced risk (HRs, 0.49-0.95).

Investigators note that compared with other cancer types, "predictive associations were robust and consistent" for lung and colorectal cancer.

They added that the heterogeneity of risk scores prevented meta-analysis and more standardized scoring systems would be beneficial for future research.

"Incorporating these scores into cancer risk assessment could encourage a more comprehensive approach to preventive care, maximizing the utility of existing tools to mitigate the burden of these major diseases," they write. "Additionally, leveraging these metrics within clinical practice, clinicians could address overlapping risk factors, such as smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity, that contribute to both [cardiovascular disease] and cancer, ultimately improving health outcomes."