Investigating modifiable risk factors associated with ideal cardiovascular health among cancer survivors: a scoping review

Abstract Background Cancer survivors are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and face worse morbidity and mortality outcomes than the general population. The American Heart Association (AHA) introduced the Life’s Essential 8 framework, encompassing eight modifiable risk factors and...

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Main Authors: Wing Lam Tock, Yujia Tang, Lise Gauvin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-03-01
Series:Cardio-Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s40959-025-00329-2
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author Wing Lam Tock
Yujia Tang
Lise Gauvin
author_facet Wing Lam Tock
Yujia Tang
Lise Gauvin
author_sort Wing Lam Tock
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Cancer survivors are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and face worse morbidity and mortality outcomes than the general population. The American Heart Association (AHA) introduced the Life’s Essential 8 framework, encompassing eight modifiable risk factors and lifestyle behaviors for maintaining ideal cardiovascular health (CVH). Although this framework is well-established for predicting CVH in the general population, studies on its association with cardiovascular outcomes among cancer survivors remain scattered across the literature. Objective This review maps existing literature surrounding modifiable risk factors, lifestyle behaviors, CVH, and cardiovascular outcomes among cancer survivors to take stock of what is known, identify methodological strengths and weaknesses, and propose promising research directions. Methods A scoping review was conducted to identify studies examining different dimensions of ideal CVH in adult cancer survivors. Measurement methods of ideal CVH metrics, and determinants associated with CVH were examined. Results Twenty-two articles met eligibility criteria. Of which, 82% (n = 18) were published in or after 2020. Fourteen studies (about 64%) followed the AHA’s framework to conceptualize ideal CVH. Higher scores on ideal CVH are linked to better cardiovascular outcomes among cancer survivors with associations noted for social inequalities and neighborhood environmental factors, underscoring the complexity of CVH determinants in this population. Conclusions Research on ideal CVH among cancer survivors appears to have accelerated in recent years, yet many gaps remain to orient clinical and public health practice. Promising research directions include expanding investigations into pre-diagnosis CVH, addressing disparities in CVH across diverse populations, and conducting longitudinal studies to clarify causal pathways between lifestyle behaviors, cancer treatments, and cardiovascular outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-038cbbba147e4b8ca882f73c53d928c62025-08-20T02:25:41ZengBMCCardio-Oncology2057-38042025-03-0111112610.1186/s40959-025-00329-2Investigating modifiable risk factors associated with ideal cardiovascular health among cancer survivors: a scoping reviewWing Lam Tock0Yujia Tang1Lise Gauvin2Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM)Ingram School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill UniversityCentre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM)Abstract Background Cancer survivors are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases and face worse morbidity and mortality outcomes than the general population. The American Heart Association (AHA) introduced the Life’s Essential 8 framework, encompassing eight modifiable risk factors and lifestyle behaviors for maintaining ideal cardiovascular health (CVH). Although this framework is well-established for predicting CVH in the general population, studies on its association with cardiovascular outcomes among cancer survivors remain scattered across the literature. Objective This review maps existing literature surrounding modifiable risk factors, lifestyle behaviors, CVH, and cardiovascular outcomes among cancer survivors to take stock of what is known, identify methodological strengths and weaknesses, and propose promising research directions. Methods A scoping review was conducted to identify studies examining different dimensions of ideal CVH in adult cancer survivors. Measurement methods of ideal CVH metrics, and determinants associated with CVH were examined. Results Twenty-two articles met eligibility criteria. Of which, 82% (n = 18) were published in or after 2020. Fourteen studies (about 64%) followed the AHA’s framework to conceptualize ideal CVH. Higher scores on ideal CVH are linked to better cardiovascular outcomes among cancer survivors with associations noted for social inequalities and neighborhood environmental factors, underscoring the complexity of CVH determinants in this population. Conclusions Research on ideal CVH among cancer survivors appears to have accelerated in recent years, yet many gaps remain to orient clinical and public health practice. Promising research directions include expanding investigations into pre-diagnosis CVH, addressing disparities in CVH across diverse populations, and conducting longitudinal studies to clarify causal pathways between lifestyle behaviors, cancer treatments, and cardiovascular outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40959-025-00329-2Ideal cardiovascular healthCancer survivorsCardiovascular outcomesCardio-oncologyLifestyle behaviorCardiovascular risk factors
spellingShingle Wing Lam Tock
Yujia Tang
Lise Gauvin
Investigating modifiable risk factors associated with ideal cardiovascular health among cancer survivors: a scoping review
Cardio-Oncology
Ideal cardiovascular health
Cancer survivors
Cardiovascular outcomes
Cardio-oncology
Lifestyle behavior
Cardiovascular risk factors
title Investigating modifiable risk factors associated with ideal cardiovascular health among cancer survivors: a scoping review
title_full Investigating modifiable risk factors associated with ideal cardiovascular health among cancer survivors: a scoping review
title_fullStr Investigating modifiable risk factors associated with ideal cardiovascular health among cancer survivors: a scoping review
title_full_unstemmed Investigating modifiable risk factors associated with ideal cardiovascular health among cancer survivors: a scoping review
title_short Investigating modifiable risk factors associated with ideal cardiovascular health among cancer survivors: a scoping review
title_sort investigating modifiable risk factors associated with ideal cardiovascular health among cancer survivors a scoping review
topic Ideal cardiovascular health
Cancer survivors
Cardiovascular outcomes
Cardio-oncology
Lifestyle behavior
Cardiovascular risk factors
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s40959-025-00329-2
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AT lisegauvin investigatingmodifiableriskfactorsassociatedwithidealcardiovascularhealthamongcancersurvivorsascopingreview