Study: Statins can protect the heart from chemotherapy treatment with early breast cancer
“Two types of cancer medication, anthracyclines and trastuzumab, are effective treatments for many women with breast cancer, however, the risk of heart muscle damage is limited, especially in women who are in breast cancer. higher risk for heart problems due to age or other medical issues, ”study lead author Husam Abdel-Qadir, MD, PhD, said in a press release.
According to the study’s authors, previous small studies suggested that women who take statins may experience less damage to heart muscle from these types of chemotherapy, but it is not yet known exactly how statins work. protects against card cell damage. Statins are also believed to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.
In the current study, researchers used several administrative health databases in Ontario, Canada, to review heart failure in women age 66 and older who received anthracyclines or trastuzumab for breast cancer. new level tested between 2007 and 2017.
All women who were already taking statins were matched by peers who were not taking statins, as well as a number of medical and social background factors. Further, the two groups were compared to understand how many hospitalization or emergency department visits occurred for heart failure within 5 years after chemotherapy. None have previously been diagnosed with heart failure, according to the study’s authors.
The researchers found that in the 666 pairs of women treated with anthracyclines, those taking statins were 55% less likely to be hospitalized for heart failure. In the 390 pairs of women treated with trastuzumab, those taking statins were 54% less likely to be hospitalized for heart failure, a trend that did not reach statistical significance.
“Our findings support the notion that statins may be a potential intervention to prevent heart failure in patients receiving chemotherapy with anthracyclines and could trastuzumab, ”Abdel-Qadir said in a press release.
Although the study found an association, the study authors noted that they cannot conclude that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between taking statins and a lower risk of heart failure.
“This study does not conclusively prove that statins are immune,” Abdel-Qadir said in a press release. “However, this study builds on the body of evidence which indicates that they may have benefits. For women with breast cancer who meet established symptoms for taking a statin, they should continue to take it through their chemotherapy treatment. Women who do not have a sign for statin should ask their healthcare team if they can join a clinical trial examining the benefits of statins in protecting against heart muscle damage during chemotherapy. On the other hand, they should focus on measures to achieve optimal cardiovascular health before, during and after chemotherapy. ”
The findings of this study in older women may not be universally applicable to younger women or those at low cardiovascular risk who do not meet normal indications for statin, according to the study’s authors. A limitation of the study is that the results coming from Canada are similar to women in the United States.
Other limitations include that the study is a retrospective analysis that relied on administrative data, and the researchers were unable to describe factors that may have influenced it. important not available, including heart pumping capacity and heart biomarkers.
REFERENCE
Statins may protect the heart from chemotherapy treatment of early breast cancer. American Heart Association. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/statins-may-protect-the-heart-from-chemotherapy-treatment-of-early-breast-cancer#:~:text=DALLAS%2C%20Jan.%206% 2C% 202021, de% 20the% 20American% 20Heart% 20Association. Published January 6, 2021. Accessed January 8, 2021.