New Study Finds Link Between Heart Disease & Elevated Cancer Risk 

A new Israeli study has found a link between heart disease and an increased risk of developing cancer. 

The research, which was jointly carried out by Tel Aviv University and Sheba Medical Center, found that small extracellular bubbles (sEVs) secreted into the bloodstream by a sick heart to help heal itself actually promote the growth of cancer cells around the body. 

The scientists who carried out the study believe that their findings will help clinicians treating heart disease to take into account the elevated cancer risk. 

The study was funded by the Israel Cancer Association and the Israel Science Foundation. It was led by Prof. Jonathan Leor of Tel Aviv University’s Neufeld Cardiac Research Institute and Sheba’s Leviev Cardiothoracic and Vascular Center, and TAU medical student Tal Caller. 

“It may be necessary to adjust the existing treatments for the heart so that they also consider the risk of cancer,” Caller said. 

“In addition, it is possible to find biomarkers among heart patients that will indicate an increased risk of cancer since not all patients are at an increased risk. This is basic research, and much work is still required to unravel the connection between the two,” he said. 

“Many theories have been proposed to explain the increased risk of cancer in heart patients,” said Leor. 

“We showed for the first time that the diseased heart secretes sEVs that contain thousands of different growth factors. These bubbles directly promote the growth of certain tumors and also modulate the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to tumor growth.”

The research was recently published in the prestigious Circulation medical journal.