Study reveals no significant differences by race/ethnicity or sex
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 1, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Slightly higher levels of cardiac biomarkers may predict an increased risk for incident cancer, according to a study published online in the July issue of JACC: Advances.
Xinjiang Cai, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of California, Los Angeles, and colleagues examined the association between baseline levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with cancer risk. The analysis included 6,244 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis who were free of self-reported cancer and cardiovascular disease at baseline.
The researchers found that during a median follow-up period of 17.8 years, higher incidence rates for all cancers were generally associated with higher baseline hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP levels, especially for the highest quartiles. The risk for all cancer end points with hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP as continuous covariates after standardization were statistically significant in fully adjusted models (hazard ratios, 1.18; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.09 to 1.27 and 2.41; 95 percent CI, 1.30 to 4.49, respectively). There were no significant effects by sex and race/ethnicity.
“These biomarkers are already well-known indicators of cardiovascular risk, but our findings suggest their predictive power may reach well beyond heart disease to encompass cancer risk too,” Cai said in a statement. “The idea that slight elevations of heart-related blood markers might also help flag cancer risk in people with no known heart problems highlights how interconnected cardiovascular health and cancer may be, beyond just their shared common risk factors.”
Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.
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