Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 15, 2025
Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting Propensity Score using the Military Health System Data Repository and National Death Index
Published on: January 8, 2020
Cardiovascular Risk, Health Metrics, and Cancer Prediction: A Scoping Review
Gretell Henriquez-Santos1, Ji-Eun Kim2, Sant J Kumar3
1Heart Disease Phenomics Laboratory, Epidemiology and Community Health Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
Insights
Higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk scores and poorer cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics are linked to increased cancer risk. Conversely, ideal CVH metrics are associated with a reduced risk of developing cancer.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular medicine
- Oncology
- Preventive medicine
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are leading global causes of death.
- Shared risk factors suggest a potential link between CVD risk assessment tools and cancer incidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and summarize studies investigating the association between CVD risk scores, CVH metrics, and cancer incidence.
- To identify if established CVD risk factors can predict cancer development.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive systematic search of four major databases (Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science: Core) was performed in April 2024.
- Data from 13 eligible prospective studies, involving adults aged 18 and above, were independently screened and extracted by five reviewers.
- Studies focused on cancer incidence as the outcome and CVD risk scores or CVH metrics as exposures.
Main Results:
- The review included 13 studies examining 14 CVD or CVH metrics, with sample sizes ranging from 1,880 to 342,226 participants.
- Higher atherosclerotic CVD risk scores were consistently linked to increased cancer incidence (Hazard Ratios: 1.16–3.71).
- Ideal cardiovascular health metrics, such as the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7, were associated with a reduced risk of cancer (Hazard Ratios: 0.49–0.95).
Conclusions:
- Most included studies indicate that poorer CVD risk scores and suboptimal CVH metrics predict a greater risk of developing cancer.
- Despite heterogeneity in metrics and cancer types, the findings support a link between cardiovascular health and cancer risk.
- Future research should concentrate on specific CVD risk metrics and cancer types to enable meta-analyses and refine predictive models.
Background:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are leading global causes of morbidity and mortality. Given the shared risk factors, it is plausible that CVD risk scores and cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics could predict cancer risk.
Objectives:
The authors sought to identify and summarize studies examining the association between CVD risk scores, CVH metrics, and incident cancer.
Methods:
A systematic search of 4 databases (Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science: Core) was conducted in April 2024 without language or date restrictions. Five reviewers (G.H., J.K., S.J.K., M.H., V.L.R.) independently screened records using Covidence software and extracted data from eligible prospective studies (adults aged ≥18 years; cancer incidence as outcome; CVD risk scores or CVH metrics as exposure).
Results:
Of 4,165 records screened, 13 studies (14 CVD or CVH metrics) were included. Heterogeneity between scales precluded a meta-analysis. Four studies evaluated CVD risk scores (eg, atherosclerotic CVD) and 10 reported CVH metrics (eg, the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7). Sample sizes ranged from 1,880 to 342,226, with median follow-up from 8.1 to 29.6 years. The majority included all types of cancer (71.4%), including breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer types, with cancer events ranging from 387 to 11,643. Higher CVD risk scores were consistently associated with increased cancer risk incidence (HRs: 1.16-3.71). Ideal CVH metrics were associated with reduced risk (HRs: 0.49-0.95).
Conclusions:
Despite heterogeneity in CVD risk metrics and cancer types, most studies suggested that worse CVD risk scores or CVH metrics predict greater cancer risk. Future studies should focus on specific CVD risk metrics and cancer types to produce evidence suitable for a meta-analysis.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast,...
01:25Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System VI: Calcium -Scoring CT
01:21Cancer Survival Analysis
01:20Blood Studies for Cardiovascular System I: Cardiac Biomarkers
The essential diagnostic tools for detecting myocardial necrosis and monitoring individuals suspected of having acute coronary syndrome (ACS) include:
Troponins
Troponins, particularly cardiac troponins I and T, are the most precise and sensitive markers of myocardial injury. They are detectable within 4-6 hours of myocardial injury and remain...
01:11Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
01:23Assessment of the Cardiovascular System I: Subjective Data
Initial Enquiry
Ask the patient about their primary concern and thoroughly explore all reported symptoms.
Medical History
Investigate past illnesses affecting the cardiovascular system, such as angina, anemia, rheumatic fever, congenital heart disease, stroke, thrombophlebitis, dysrhythmias, varicosities
Inquire about symptoms...