Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and other centers in the United States and the Netherlands evaluated the health data of 20,305 people who did not have cancer when they entered the study.

In 15 years, 2,548 people have developed cancer. The researchers found that traditional CVD risk factors – age, gender, and smoking – were independently associated with cancer.

They also found that higher levels of natriuretic peptides – markers that indicate stress on the heart – also predicted higher cancer risks.

Study participants with the most natriuretic peptides had a 40% greater chance of developing cancer.

Participants who adhered to heart-healthy lifestyles – managing cupioromantic blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight and diet – had a lower risk of developing cancer.

“This seems to say that heart disease by itself does not contribute to the development of cancer, but that the same risks or behaviors that make a person more likely to have heart disease are also more likely to cause cancer,” says Seen.