BE WELL

FIGHTING A MEDICAL DOUBLE WHAMMY

HEART DISEASE AND COLON CANCER

WRITTEN BY DAVID MARKS

Heart disease and cancer have had something in common that is troubling. They continue to be the two leading causes of death in the U.S., by a lot. In fact, each of them is greater than the next three leading causes combined.

But now there’s an added concern. Heart attack survivors may have an increased risk of developing cancer compared to people without cardiovascular disease. And that’s not all.

“There is significant data that indicates that a diagnosis of colorectal cancer leads to an increase in the risk of developing both coronary atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure,” says Andrew Waters, MD, FACC, RPVI, cardiologist, AdventHealth Medical Group Cardiology & Cardiovascular Surgery at Shawnee Mission Health.

At the heart of it all—no pun intended—is a group of risk factors that increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. This group is known as metabolic syndrome, and it includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and belly fat.

When you have at least three of these risk factors, your chances for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke are higher than they’d be with any of those health problems on their own.

“Metabolic syndrome is associated with several adverse health outcomes, and this includes cardiovascular disease as well as a number of different types of cancer,” says Dr. Waters.

How does colon cancer affect the heart?

Patients with colorectal cancer have a significantly greater risk than the general population for developing cardiovascular disease and congestive heart failure. And in some cases, one of the medications used to treat many colorectal patients can promote the buildup of coronary atherosclerosis, better known as hardening of the arteries.

“Although studies have demonstrated that the greatest increase in cardiovascular mortality occurs in the first two years after diagnosis of colorectal cancer, there is a prolonged increase in risk that persists for up to a decade afterwards,” says Dr. Waters.

Fortunately, there’s a way to fight back. By reducing the risk factors of metabolic syndrome, both heart disease and colon cancer can

be prevented before they become life-threatening.

“From a preventative standpoint, it makes sense to focus on the people who are likely to develop metabolic syndrome,” says Dr. Waters. “People with central obesity, hypertension, a family or personal history of diabetes mellitus, a sedentary lifestyle, or a past medical history of polycystic ovarian syndrome are likely to develop metabolic syndrome. These are common conditions that can be evaluated and diagnosed by a primary care physician as part of routine checkups.”

In fact, the American Heart Association has developed a regimen called Life’s Simple Seven to combat metabolic syndrome. It recommends eating a healthy diet (more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein), being physically active, avoiding all tobacco/nicotine products, and attaining and maintaining a healthy body weight, cholesterol, glucose, and blood pressure.

And if lifestyle changes don’t control your metabolic syndrome, your doctor may also suggest medicine. It won’t replace lifestyle changes, but it can help. For example, you may get a drug called a statin to lower your cholesterol. Other medicines may lower your blood pressure, prevent blood clots, fight coronary disease and lower your chances of having a heart attack.

AdventHealth offers HEARTaware, a free, online heart disease risk assessment designed to help you identify your risk factors for developing heart disease. To complete a quick and free heart risk assessment, visit AdventHealthKC.com/Heart.

Why it’s so important to have a physician who understands the relationship between these two diseases and their treatments

When a patient receives a diagnosis of colorectal cancer, it helps to have a team-based approach—with access to a cardio-oncology team that can help the primary oncology team screen for and manage any potential cardiovascular complications of chemotherapy.

—Andrew Waters, MD, FACC, RPVI, Cardiologist, AdventHealth

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