Cardiovascular health, polygenic risk score, and cancer risk: a prospective cohort study

Cancer and cardiovascular disease share common lifestyle risk factors. However, it remains unclear whether cardiovascular health (CVH) evaluated by Life's Essential 8 can predict cancer risk, and attenuate the influence of genetic susceptibility on cancer.

We aimed to evaluate independent and joint associations of CVH and polygenic risk score (PRS) with risks of overall and site-specific cancers.

We undertook a population-based cohort study based on the UK Biobank. The CVH score was constructed by physical activity, body mass index, nicotine exposure, sleep, diet, blood pressure, lipid profile, and blood glucose. PRSs were assessed individually for 18 cancer types by their independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms previously identified in genome-wide association studies. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models were applied to explore the independent and joint associations of CVH and PRS with cancer incidence risk. The results were displayed as hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Compared with low CVH, high CVH was associated with decreased risks of overall cancer and the majority of common cancers, including digestive system [HRs (95% CI): 0.33 (0.23, 0.45)-0.66 (0.58, 0.75)], lung (HR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.31), renal (HR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.56), bladder (HR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.44, 0.69), breast (HR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.74, 0.92), and endometrial cancers (HR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.30, 0.51). For overall cancer in males, there was an interaction between CVH and PRS. Notably, individuals with high CVH across all levels of PRS had lower risks of overall cancer for females and 8 site-specific cancers than those with low CVH and high PRS [HRs (95% CIs): 0.18 (0.12, 0.25)-0.79 (0.71, 0.87)].

High CVH was related to decreased risks of overall cancer and multiple cancers regardless of genetic predispositions. Our findings underscored the value of improving CVH for cancer prevention in the general population.