A study has shown that cancer patients who maintain or start regular exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease. Treatments for cancer, such as medication and radiation, put a significant strain on the heart, and inflammation caused by cancer can also lead to heart disease. Therefore, cancer patients should be cautious of heart disease, and exercise has been found to counteract these effects.
According to Samsung Medical Center, the research team led by Professor Shin Dong-wook from their Cancer Patient Quality of Life Research Institute, published findings in the latest issue of the American Heart Association journal, “Cardio-Oncology.” The study demonstrated that maintaining exercise after a cancer diagnosis can reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and heart failure. The research involved Dr. John Wonyoung Jung from the University of Pennsylvania and Professor Jo In-young from Samsung Medical Center’s Cancer Treatment Center as the first authors, with Professor Han Kyung-do from Soongsil University’s Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science as the co-corresponding author.
The research team analyzed data from the National Health Insurance Service, studying 269,943 patients diagnosed with cancer between 2010 and 2016. They compared four groups: those who exercised regularly before and after diagnosis (27,186 people), those who started exercising after diagnosis (44,852 people), those who stopped exercising (30,649 people), and those who did not exercise at all (167,256 people).
Regular exercise was defined as engaging in high-intensity exercise for more than 20 minutes at least three times a week, or moderate-intensity exercise for more than 30 minutes at least five times a week. The study found that 62% of people did not exercise after a cancer diagnosis, and 11.4% stopped exercising, meaning more than 70% of patients were not active post-diagnosis.
These results are partly due to physical function decline and fatigue commonly experienced during cancer treatment. The study analyzed how the risks of life-threatening heart diseases such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation changed in people who did not exercise before and after their cancer diagnosis.
The results showed that maintaining regular exercise before and after diagnosis reduced the risk of myocardial infarction by 20% and heart failure by 16%. Even if patients did not exercise before their cancer diagnosis but started afterward, their risk of myocardial infarction reduced by 11% and heart failure by 13%. Patients who stopped exercising after diagnosis but had exercised regularly before still had a 20% lower risk of myocardial infarction and a 6% lower risk of heart failure. This demonstrates that prior exercise had lasting benefits, even when paused during treatment.
Dr. Jung stated, “This study demonstrates that regular exercise plays a crucial role in preventing heart disease in cancer survivors. Starting exercise, even after a cancer diagnosis, is a simple yet effective way to reduce the risk of heart disease with medical guidance.”
Professor Jo added, “Only 10% of patients maintain sufficient exercise levels before and after treatment. Many cancer patients struggle to exercise due to decreased physical fitness, post-treatment stress, and a lack of information on appropriate exercise methods and amounts.”
He further emphasized, “Exercise should continue before, during, and after cancer treatment. There is a need to develop and provide systematic programs to guide this.”
Reported by Senior Journalist Kim Tae-yeol.