Cancer and heart disease—one affects cells, the other affects blood flow. You might not think they are connected at all. But these two conditions share more than you might expect. Your heart health and your risk of cancer go hand in hand.
Taking care of your heart could also help protect you from cancer, but some cancer treatments can put your heart at risk. If this seems confusing, read on and we’ll break it down.
Same Risk Factors, Different Diseases
Cancer and heart disease often start the same way—with everyday habits that impact your overall health. Some of the biggest culprits include:
- Smoking: Smoking or vaping increases your risk for both lung cancer and heart disease.
- An unhealthy diet: Processed foods, too much sugar and unhealthy fats can contribute to weight gain, inflammation and disease.
- Lack of exercise: A sedentary lifestyle is bad for your heart and can increase cancer risk, too.
- Chronic inflammation: Over time, inflammation damages blood vessels and creates an environment where cancer cells can thrive.
So, while cancer and heart disease may show up in different ways, the underlying causes are often the same. That also means making better lifestyle choices can help protect you from both.
When Cancer Treatments Affect the Heart
Cancer treatments save millions of lives. But some of them carry side effects that can diminish your heart health.
- Chemotherapy drugs: Some medications can weaken the heart muscle, making it harder to pump blood.
- Radiation therapy: Radiation that’s aimed at the chest can cause long-term damage to blood vessels and heart tissue.
- Immunotherapy and targeted treatments: These therapies can sometimes cause inflammation in the heart, leading to conditions such as myocarditis, where the muscular wall of the heart become inflamed.
Health care providers now monitor heart health closely in people with cancer, especially those receiving treatments known to carry risks. This has even led to a new field of medicine called cardio-oncology, which focuses on keeping the heart strong while treating cancer.
How a Healthy Heart Helps Prevent Cancer
Here’s the good news: The same habits that keep your heart healthy can also lower your cancer risk!
- Eat whole foods: Whole foods such as fruits, veggies and lean proteins help reduce inflammation and support your immune system.
- Move your body: Exercise improves circulation and lowers the risk of obesity, a major factor in many cancers.
- Quit smoking (or never start): It’s one of the best things you can do for both heart and cancer prevention.
- Manage stress: Chronic stress leads to inflammation, which plays a role in both heart disease and cancer development.
By making small but consistent changes in your daily routine, you’re protecting more than just your heart—you’re protecting your future.
One Body, One Health
Everything in your body is connected. Your heart and your risk of cancer may seem unrelated, but they’re part of the same big picture. The steps you take today—eating better, staying active, managing stress—don’t just help you live longer, they help you live better.
So next time you think about heart health, remember it’s not just about avoiding a heart attack—it’s about keeping your whole body strong, including protecting yourself from cancer. Small choices add up. Your future self will thank you.
Carolyn M. Ruiz Pérez earned a master’s degree in molecular biotechnology from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla Campus. She is a laboratory technician of investigation at the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center. Ruiz is pursuing a second master’s degree—in clinical and translational research—from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.