A new global analysis published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association has identified shared risk factors for breast cancer and atrial fibrillation (AFib) in women aged 55 and older, with smoking and alcohol use playing significant roles. The study, which analyzed data from 204 countries and regions, found that in about 40% of those areas, rates of both conditions were similar, particularly in Western nations.
Researchers evaluated exposure to 58 risk factors, including smoking, alcohol use, body mass index, and physical activity, using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 database. The findings revealed that reducing alcohol intake and smoking could potentially lower the risk of breast cancer by about 15% and the risk of atrial fibrillation by about 12% worldwide. Alcohol use alone contributed to 9.27% of breast cancer cases and 7.57% of AFib cases.
“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 in Beijing.
The study noted that high-income and developed nations, such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and much of Europe, exhibited elevated rates of both conditions. This aligns with previous research linking Western diets and sedentary lifestyles to increased risks. “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 added.
Laxmi Mehta, M.D., FAHA, chair of the American Heart Association’s Council on Clinical Cardiology, who was not involved in the study, commented: “Many of the same modifiable factors, including smoking, alcohol use, poor diet, physical inactivity and obesity, contribute to both breast cancer and cardiovascular disease including atrial fibrillation/flutter, as confirmed by this study’s findings. This overlap underscores the importance of integrated lifestyle strategies to reduce risk.”
This is the first study to use machine learning to investigate global patterns of these conditions co-occurring and their underlying risk drivers. The researchers created spatial risk maps to guide region-specific prevention strategies. “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 and Yi Shi.
Study limitations include the use of country-level data rather than individual-level data, which cannot prove direct cause and effect. The researchers plan to incorporate long-term research, genetic and metabolic data, and socioeconomic factors in future studies.
