Vasotoxic Effects of Anticancer Therapy: a Review of Current Data

Cardiovascular and oncological diseases are the leading causes of adult death in the world. Despite proven efficacy, anticancer drugs can cause severe cardiovascular complications. Recently, data have appeared on the possible vasotoxic effects of chemotherapy drugs, which can manifest themselves as the progression of arterial hypertension and atherosclerosis, the development of myocardial ischemia and acute coronary syndrome, the formation of venous and arterial thrombosis. The key mechanism for the development of vasotoxicity is endothelial dysfunction, and anticancer drugs can also affect the processes of thrombosis. The review presents the results of 12 selected observational retro- and prospective studies involving cancer patients receiving presumably vasotoxic therapy. Data on the frequency of occurrence and possibilities for the prevention of vasotoxicity are presented

Potential of primary drug prevention of cardiotoxicity in the context of anticancer therapy

Aim. To search early signs of cardiotoxicity in patients receiving anticancer therapy and evaluate the effectiveness of cardioprotection with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, beta-blocker and myocardial cytoprotector.Material and methods. The study included 98 patients with high and very high risk of cardiotoxicity according to the Mayo Clinic scale (USA). Cancer patients with hypertension were offered cardioprotective treatment with a fixed-dose combination of perindopril and bisoprolol, and patients with very high risk and concomitant coronary artery disease additionally trimetazidine.The patients were divided into 2 following groups: the experimental group (n=50), where patients were prescribed cardioprotective therapy, and the control group (n=48), which consisted of patients who refused or had contraindications to cardioprotection. All patients underwent an examination, including the collection of complaints and anamnesis, physical examination, electrocardiography and echocardiography with an assessment of left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain before chemotherapy and 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months after initiation of anticancer therapy.Results. In patients of the control group, by the end of the follow-up, the left atrial volume index and LV end-diastolic volume index significantly increased. In the main group, these indicators did not change significantly. In the control group, by the final visit, the LV ejection fraction significantly decreased in comparison with the initial value and the value in the first group. After 6, 9 and 12 months, there was a significant decrease in the LV global longitudinal strain in the control group, while in the main group this indicator remained within the normal range. The mortality rate in the control group was significantly higher (15% vs 2% in the experimental group). In the experimental group, cardiotoxic complications occurred in 28%, while in the control group — in 78% of patients.Conclusion. The study demonstrated the significant importance of cardiac monitoring and primary drug prevention of cardiotoxicity of anticancer therapy. A sig nificant deterioration in LV systolic function was shown in patients with a high and very high risk of cardiotoxicity who did not receive cardioprotective therapy, while its high efficiency was demonstrated in patients of the experimental group

HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN ASSESSMENT OF CLINICAL STATUS, FUNCTIONAL CONDITIONS AND PROGNOSIS IN HEART FAILURE

Data about heart rate variability analysis in healthy people and patients with chronic heart failure are reviewed. Prognostic value of time-domain and spectral measures is mentioned. Influence of standard therapy on heart rate variability is described

Rivaroxaban with or without aspirin in stable cardiovascular disease

BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether rivaroxaban alone or in combination with aspirin would be more effective than aspirin alone for secondary cardiovascular prevention. METHODS: In this double-blind trial, we randomly assigned 27,395 participants with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease to receive rivaroxaban (2.5 mg twice daily) plus aspirin (100 mg once daily), rivaroxaban (5 mg twice daily), or aspirin (100 mg once daily). The primary outcome was a composite of cardiovascular death, stroke, or myocardial infarction. The study was stopped for superiority of the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group after a mean follow-up of 23 months. RESULTS: The primary outcome occurred in fewer patients in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group than in the aspirin-alone group (379 patients [4.1%] vs. 496 patients [5.4%]; hazard ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66 to 0.86; P<0.001; z=−4.126), but major bleeding events occurred in more patients in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group (288 patients [3.1%] vs. 170 patients [1.9%]; hazard ratio, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.40 to 2.05; P<0.001). There was no significant difference in intracranial or fatal bleeding between these two groups. There were 313 deaths (3.4%) in the rivaroxaban-plus-aspirin group as compared with 378 (4.1%) in the aspirin-alone group (hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71 to 0.96; P=0.01; threshold P value for significance, 0.0025). The primary outcome did not occur in significantly fewer patients in the rivaroxaban-alone group than in the aspirin-alone group, but major bleeding events occurred in more patients in the rivaroxaban-alone group. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with stable atherosclerotic vascular disease, those assigned to rivaroxaban (2.5 mg twice daily) plus aspirin had better cardiovascular outcomes and more major bleeding events than those assigned to aspirin alone. Rivaroxaban (5 mg twice daily) alone did not result in better cardiovascular outcomes than aspirin alone and resulted in more major bleeding events