Chilean study explains link between heart disease and cancer
Research shows an association in heart failure developed after the development of colon cancer and myocardial infarction.
Non-communicable diseases are the cause of 40 million deaths each year, figure representing 70% of all deaths worldwide. In this context, 17,7 million people die annually of cardiovascular diseases, While the cancer die 8,8 million.
Do both diseases suspected of related? A I am a student Chilean indicates that. It's an investigation that reviewed several studies published in the journal Circulation, of the American Heart Association, and was prepared by the Professor of the Faculty of chemical sciences and Farmaceutidas of U. Chile and director of the Center for advanced studies of chronic diseases (Accdis) Sergio Lavandero, next the researchers Richard N. Kitsis and Jaime Riquelme.
“Previously, we knew that there was a relationship between these two diseases, Since those who are treated with medicine or radiation cancer experience damage to the heart, therefore a discipline called Cardio-Oncology has been developed, to try to predict and help these patients with cancer who undergo heart problems", explains Sergio Lavandero.
The publication places a different perspective that is upside down: how heart disease predisposes to cancer development. Lavandero explains that both cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity and diseases respiratory Chronicles have renamed today are called chronic communicable diseases culturally. "Through epidemiological studies where it follows the natural history of these diseases, as in our case in the town of Molina, It has observed that all of them seem to be inter-related. Although the final reasons still unknown, chronic low-grade inflammation seems to be a binding element", says.
The recently published work in Circulation shows an association specifically in the heart failure developed after the development of colon cancer and myocardial infarction.
Cardiovascular diseases and cancer are the leading killers in Chile and the world, representing nearly 60% of total deaths. This publication shows that both will collude to do its job. "The relevance is that it shows us that all of these chronic diseases are socially interrelated and that our main challenge is educating our population and on the other hand research in our country if this collusion between diseases cardiovascular major (high blood pressure, myocardial infarction), type digestive cancers (colon, stomach, gallbladder) and obesity", explains.
Bidirectionality
The work describes five molecules which are able to stimulate the proliferation of polyps and tumor development, forming a pioneering proposal to analyse the bi-directionality of these chronic diseases, showing a different to the traditional perspective based on the relationship, i.e., from heart disease to cancer development.
"We are in a new phase of the knowledge of these diseases. There is urgency and for this reason it is critical that our country develops the initiative"1000 Genomes- Chile Chile sequence"to know the genetic basis for the development of these killers", holds.
Yet it remains to determine whether there are partnerships with other types of cancer, indicates Lavandero. Precisely, says, that is the task that have as a challenge to respond at the Advanced Center in chronic diseases of the University of Chile and the Universidad Católica, It is supported by the priority Areas for funding of centres of excellence program (FONDAP) CONICYT.
What should be the care that a patient had cancer should have to prevent heart disease? Lavandero, Specifies that there are non-modifiable factors (genetic) and modifiable (i.e. those who depend on us) the development of both diseases. "In general, modifiable factors for optimal cardiovascular health are the same to prevent cancer, i.e., a healthy diet (low-fat, sugar, salt and calories, take care of our body weight, non-smoking and physical exercise".