Beat Cancer Only to Face a Heart Attack?
Last month, I shared a study showing that the same lifestyle changes that protect your heart also help lower your cancer risk.
(You can read about those here.)
But the connection between these two top killers doesn’t end there.
Another surprising study found that cancer can send your risk of heart problems skyrocketing.
Researchers examined data on 15,000 people who didn’t have cancer or heart disease at the start of the study. During the follow-up, about 1,300 developed cancer.
Their analysis showed that those participants who had developed cancer had about DOUBLE the risk of developing a heart problem such as heart failure, heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease.
The increased heart risk remained even after factoring in other significant risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
This suggests that the cancer itself—or the treatments used to fight it—is responsible for the increased risks to your heart.
Other studies show a similar connection.
Cancer is one of the most brutal battles you could ever face. But if you’ve been fortunate enough to beat it, studies like this show that your fight isn’t over yet.
You’ll need to work harder than most to safeguard your heart health.
One of the best ways to do that is to follow the lifestyle recommendations of the American Heart Association, called Life’s Essential 8.
- Dietary intake
- Physical activity
- Sleep
- Smoking status
- Body mass index
- Cholesterol levels
- Blood sugar levels
- Blood pressure
This is a fantastic start, but I would also add a #9: Fix your circadian rhythm.
Every function in your body—including metabolism, cellular repair, hormone release, eating habits, and heart health—is governed by your circadian rhythm.
This internal clock is set to follow the rhythm of the sun. To fix yours, get up with the sun and spend more time outdoors.
P.S. A dysfunctional circadian rhythm raises your risk for heart attack, stroke, and more. Reset your circadian rhythm to REVERSE your risk of these deadly health threats. Click here to get all the details on my Circadian Reset Protocol.
View Sources
“Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke Following Cancer and Cancer Treatment in Older Adults.” Cancer. 130:23. 12.01.24. Pages 4138-48
