For a lot of cancer survivors in India, finishing treatment is like running the hardest mile. But recent international research shows that what happens after cancer may be just as essential as what happened before it, especially for the heart. 

A big study in Europe has shown that simple, everyday activities that are good for the heart can greatly increase the chances of survival for those who have already been diagnosed with cancer. The results are very important for India, where cancer survival is becoming better but heart disease is still the number one cause of death. 

The European Heart Journal released the study, which followed 779 adult cancer survivors for 15 years as part of the well-known Moli-sani Study in Italy. When the study started, all of the people who took part had already been diagnosed with cancer. Researchers used Life's Simple 7 (LS7), a score created by the American Heart Association to measure seven basic things: smoking, exercise, food, body weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. 

In short, LS7 looks at how closely a person's everyday activities fit what experts say is "heart health.". 

The results were very surprising. Compared to people with bad habits, cancer survivors who lived healthier lives had a 38% decreased risk of dying from any cause. Even modest changes were important. Every one-point rise in the LS7 score cut cancer-related deaths by 10%. 

“Marialaura Bonaccio, the first author of the paper and co-principal investigator of the Joint Platform Fondazione Umberto Veronesi ETS – I.R.C.C.S. Neuromed at the Epidemiology and Prevention Unit, says that our study indicates that a score based on traditional cardiovascular risk factors, which has already been shown to work in the general population, can also predict better survival in people who have had cancer. People who have had or are now dealing with this disease can get real help by adopting healthy behaviours like eating healthily, exercising regularly, and keeping a healthy weight. 

When researchers swapped the general diet score for adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, the lifespan benefits became even stronger, even for fatalities attributable to heart disease. This way of eating is based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and healthy oils. Nutritionists say that many Indian diets, especially traditional home-cooked meals that are high in vegetables and legumes and low in processed foods, are quite similar to the Mediterranean diet. 

The study also tells us why these routines are effective. Low-grade inflammation (a persistent, moderate kind of internal irritation), resting heart rate, and vitamin D levels are three biological markers that link heart disease and cancer. Enhancing lifestyle behaviours aids in the regulation of all three. Maria Benedetta Donati, the principal investigator of the joint platform, says that this study confirms a scientifically interesting hypothesis: chronic diseases that seem to be different, like cancer and heart disease, may have the same biological roots and ways of developing and getting worse. 

The message is especially critical for India, where cancer survivors typically don't get enough long-term follow-up care. 

Licia Iacoviello, Head of the Epidemiology and Prevention Unit at Neuromed, says that the results support the idea that healthy lifestyles and primary prevention can not only lower the risk of chronic diseases in healthy people but also improve the prognosis and quality of life for people who have already had cancer. 

Chiara Tonelli of Fondazione Umberto Veronesi ETS says that this integrated approach puts the person, not simply the ailment, at the heart of recovery. The research is clear for Indian cancer survivors: keeping the heart healthy may also help them live longer after cancer.