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13/02/2025 - Press release

Having a Biological Age Higher than Chronological Age Increases the Risk of Developing Cancer After a Stroke

• Specifically, for every year of increase in the difference between chronological age (based on birthdate) and biological age (determined by lifestyle habits and exposure to external factors), the risk of developing cancer after any type of stroke increases by 6.6%.
• This is the first time a clear relationship has been established between biological age and cancer risk in these patients.
• Biological age can be modified by changing lifestyle habits, which could reduce the chances of developing cancer after recovering from a stroke.

Our biological age, which differs from the age determined by our birthdate and is influenced by lifestyle habits and external factors, has a direct impact on the risk of developing cancer after suffering any type of stroke. Specifically, for every year of biological age gained over chronological age-referred to as biological age acceleration the risk increases by 6.6%, according to a study conducted by the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and the Neurology Department of Hospital del Mar, recently published in Genome Medicine.

The connection between cancer and stroke was already known, as it is estimated that 6% of cancer patients will experience a stroke in their lifetime. Additionally, 6% to 12% of stroke patients develop a tumor in the long term, with a 2.4-fold higher incidence of cancer in this population. However, the underlying causes remain unclear-a gap that this study aims to address.

"We have demonstrated that patients with biological age acceleration after suffering a stroke are at greater risk of developing cancer," explains Dr. Antoni Suárez-Pérez, researcher in the Neurovascular Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and physician in the Neurology Department. To conduct the study, researchers analyzed data from 648 patients treated for any type of stroke at Hospital del Mar between 2005 and 2014, with follow-up until January 2023. Genetic data obtained from blood samples allowed researchers to determine patients' biological age.

From left to right: Joan Jiménez Baladó, Ángel Ois, Antoni Suárez Pérez and Jordi Jiménez Conde

Changing Lifestyle Habits to Lower Cancer Risk

Among the studied patients, who had an average age of 73 years, nearly 60% were men. They were followed for an average of more than eight years, during which 83 cases around 13% of the total, developed some form of cancer. The most common type, accounting for 41% of cases, was gastrointestinal tumors. Patients who developed cancer were more likely to be male and to consume higher amounts of alcohol.

The researchers used six bioinformatics algorithms to analyze the biological age of the patients based on blood samples. They found that for every additional year of biological age compared to chronological age, the long-term risk of developing cancer increased by 6.6%. "The study revealed, for the first time, that this biological age acceleration, determined by epigenetic markers, has a direct relationship with the increased long-term risk of developing cancer after suffering a stroke," says Dr. Suárez-Pérez.

One significant finding is that biological age acceleration is reversible, meaning it can be improved by adopting healthier lifestyle habits. This opens the door to interventions aimed at reducing this risk. "By controlling our habits and exposure to external factors, we can reverse the methylation patterns of our genome, which are reflected in a higher biological age, slowing it down," notes Dr. Suárez-Pérez. He adds, "In this way, we could indirectly reduce the cancer risk in people who have suffered a stroke."

Reference Article
Suárez-Pérez A, Macias-Gómez A, Fernández-Pérez I, Vallverdú-Prats M, Cuadrado-Godia E, Giralt-Steinhauer E, Campanale M, Guisado-Alonso D, Rodríguez-Campello A, Jiménez-Balado J, Jiménez-Conde J, Ois A. Epigenetic age and long-term cancer risk following a stroke. Genome Med. 2024 Nov 22;16(1):135. doi: 10.1186/s13073-024-01408-2. PMID: 39578904; PMCID: PMC11583382.

For More Information
Communication Department, Hospital del Mar Research Institute/Hospital del Mar:
Marta Calsina - 93 3160680 – mcalsina@researchmar.net
David Collantes - 600402785 – dcollantes@hospitaldelmar.cat

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