Cardiac MRI scans are ordered to examine the heart. Cardiologists use it to measure muscle thickness, chamber movement, and how much the walls contract – to measure the risk of heart disease before symptoms appear.
New research that followed more than 6,000 adults for nearly two decades found something no one expected in those photos.
The heart’s structure and movement were captured years ago, and tracked who later developed certain cancers.
Two related diseases
Dr. Xinjiang Cai, a cardiologist and physician-scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles (University of CaliforniaHe spent years quietly studying how the heart and tumors are linked. His recent work adds real weight to the idea.
The study is centered around Cardiac remodeling – Small and early changes in the structure of the heart and the way it moves, which occur long before a person feels sick. These changes usually go unnoticed during a routine examination.
For many years, evidence has suggested that the two diseases share biological roots, and not by pure coincidence.
animal research He showed that an altered heart can accelerate tumor growth, even when the heart has not yet failed.
Heart reading
To search for those early signals, the team came up with them Cardiac MRI – Detailed MRI scans that map the heart muscle and its chambers much more accurately than a basic test.
Previous studies relied on blood tests or measurements of calcium buildup in the arteries.
These tests came from a long-term health study that followed more than 6,000 adults, ages 45 to 84, none of whom had known heart disease when they were enrolled.
The data represent people from six U.S. cities and four racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Each person’s heart was measured first, and then everyone was tracked for cancer over the course of about 18 years.
About 790 people developed cancer during that time period, and the odds steadily increased as early heart changes became more evident.
Mass and breast cancer
The strongest link connects the bulk of the heart’s main pumping chamber breast cancer. Women who have more muscle mass develop the disease more often than those who have less muscle mass.
This pattern persisted even after the researchers stripped out the usual suspects, such as age, weight, blood pressure and other common risks.
Until this analysis, no one had used detailed cardiac imaging to show this association in healthy adults.
Other research suggests the idea is plausible. Studies have shown that a breast tumor can remodel the heart through the chemical signals it triggers, sometimes long before treatment begins.
Weaker pressure
The second signal came from the left upper chamber of the heart. The researchers measured how freely it moved with each beat, a characteristic called left atrial strain. Weaker movement lined up with higher rates Colorectal cancer.
People whose upper chamber moved well had significantly less colorectal cancer over the years of follow-up. The more solid and slower room was pointing in the other direction, towards higher risks.
The reason for the two traveling together is unclear. A faltering heart may trigger signals that push tumors forward, or both problems may arise from the same underlying damage. Testing shows the link, not the cause.
Limitations of the study
None of this proves that heart changes cause cancer, and researchers are upfront about that.
“These results represent associations and do not prove causation,” Kay said.
Other influences they couldn’t measure may be doing some of the work. There is also the possibility that people whose hearts have caught medical attention will be scrutinized more closely, developing cancer that would otherwise have sneaked in.
The results will need to be confirmed in other large groups before they reach daily practice.
previously a job From this team have already linked some heart-related blood markers to subsequent cancer; The new scans add a more direct look at the organ itself.
What could change?
What’s new here is the tool. For the first time, detailed heart scans – not blood tests or risk charts – were used to identify people who would later face a higher risk of developing breast or colorectal cancer.
This indicates a practical reward. The same scans that cardiologists already order to quantify cardiac risk could one day double as an early warning sign for cancer, pushing some patients toward closer screening sooner rather than later.
It also strengthens the case for treating the heart and the rest of the body as one connected device.
Controlling blood pressure, weight, and blood sugar actually protects the heart. These same habits may reduce your risk of cancer, too.
The study is published in Journal of the American Heart Association.
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