A new global study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has found that smoking and alcohol use are key modifiable risk factors shared between breast cancer and atrial fibrillation, or irregular heartbeat, in women aged 55 and older. The research, which analyzed data from 204 countries and territories, reveals that in about 40% of these regions, rates of both conditions are similar, particularly in Western nations such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and much of Europe.
The study, led by researchers at Peking University People's Hospital in Beijing, used machine learning to examine the global patterns of breast cancer and atrial fibrillation/flutter. The analysis evaluated exposure to 58 risk factors, including smoking, alcohol use, body mass index, and physical activity. The findings indicate that reducing alcohol intake and smoking could potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer by about 15% and the risk of atrial fibrillation by about 12% worldwide.
“Identifying shared risk factors is important for developing interventions that support optimal health, such as smoking cessation and alcohol restriction, which could potentially reduce the global incidence of breast cancer and atrial fibrillation/flutter substantially,” said study co-author Shu Wang, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Breast Disease Center at Peking University People's Hospital.
The study found that high-income and developed nations exhibited elevated rates of both breast cancer and AFib, aligning with previous research linking Western diets and sedentary lifestyles to increased risks of cardiovascular and metabolic conditions and cancer. “One of the most surprising aspects of our findings was how common both breast cancer and atrial fibrillation/flutter diagnoses were among women ages 55 and older in high-income regions, which highlights the influence of lifestyle,” Wang said.
Alcohol use was found to be a significant contributor to breast cancer (9.27% of cases) and atrial fibrillation/flutter (7.57% of cases). The study also noted that Western nations were more likely to have exposure to more types of risk factors, such as higher body mass index and more sedentary lifestyles.
“From a cardiovascular perspective, this means that reducing smoking and alcohol use could help lower the risk of both conditions at the same time,” said study co-authors Zeye Liu, M.D., Ph.D., a surgeon in the department of cardiac surgery of Peking University People's Hospital, and Yi Shi, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the department of cardiac surgery.
The American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 highlights key behaviors and health factors essential for prevention and reducing risk. The Association has previously identified that breast cancer and cardiovascular disease share some common risk factors that may be prevented through modifications like a healthy diet, physical activity, abstinence from tobacco and low alcohol intake, according to a 2018 Scientific Statement.
The newly developed spatial risk maps from this study can help guide region-specific prevention strategies. Researchers plan to incorporate long-term research, genetic and metabolic data, and socioeconomic factors into future analyses to develop individualized and region-specific prevention strategies.
Study limitations include that it reviewed a large global database with broad healthcare information by country, which lacks data at the individual level, and the findings cannot prove any direct cause and effect. The full manuscript is available online.
