Higher levels of two cardiac biomarkers at baseline are associated with an increased risk of future cancer, according to new findings from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).
Researchers analysed data from 6,244 adults free of cancer and cardiovascular disease at the start of the study. Participants’ levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) and N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were measured at baseline and followed over a median of 17.8 years. Incident cancers were identified through hospitalisation records.
During the follow-up period, 820 participants developed cancer, with a rate of 91.2 cases per 10,000 person-years. Higher cancer rates were generally observed in those with higher baseline levels of hs-cTnT and NT-proBNP, particularly in the top quartiles.
In fully adjusted models, both biomarkers were significantly associated with increased cancer risk. For each standard deviation increase, hs-cTnT was linked to an 18 percent higher risk of cancer, while NT-proBNP was associated with more than double the risk (HR:1.18; 95% CI: 1.09-1.27; P < 0.001; and HR: 2.41; 95% CI: 1.30-4.49; P = 0.006, respectively). These associations held regardless of participants’ sex or race and ethnicity.
The findings suggest that cardiac stress or injury markers could serve as early indicators of cancer risk, further underscoring the connection between cardiovascular and oncologic health.
Reference
Cai, X et al. Baseline cardiac biomarker levels as predictors of cancer risk in the MESA cohort. JACC Adv. 2025;4 (7): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.101884.
