Research Article: Baseline vs. on-treatment heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) in a real world cardio-oncology clinic: observational analysis of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity incidence and cancer treatment implications
Abstract:
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) prevalence increases, but in cancer patients undergoing potentially cardiotoxic treatments, HFpEF is not included in baseline risk stratification, nor in cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) definitions. Data on HFpEF in this population are scarce. We described baseline HFpEF prevalence in cancer patients and compared incidence of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT), CTRCD and HFpEF events (new HFpEF diagnosis or decompensation of pre-existing HFpEF) and mortality in this subgroup compared to patients without pre-existing HF and to patients with pre-existing HF(m)rEF. Secondly, we investigated the incidence of HFpEF events and CTR-CVT after cancer therapy initiation, identifying predictors for developing HFpEF events.
This retrospective analysis included 665 patients (54.1% female, mean age 62.1 years), of whom 36 (5.4%) had known HFpEF prior to cancer therapy initiation. Compared to patients without HF, pre-existing HFpEF implied higher mortality (27.8% vs. 12.8%, p =?0.011), numerically comparable to mortality in pre-existing HF(m)rEF (26.8%), with death occurring significantly earlier in pre-existing HFrEF, driving the mortality signal. Though no difference in CTR-CVT incidence was observed, pre-existing HFpEF predisposed to more HFpEF events (41.6%, p <?0.001) and less CTRCD (2.8%). Independent of baseline characteristics, 96/665 patients (14.4%) developed HFpEF events, of whom 47.9% had pre-existing CVD yet only 15/96 (15.6%) had a HFpEF diagnosis. Cancer therapy required adaptation in 12/96 patients (12.5%) but no mortality difference was observed in this subpopulation. Older age, female sex, arterial hypertension and previous arrhythmias predicted HFpEF events in multivariate analysis.
Pre-existing HFpEF carries a significant morbidity and mortality risk, where pre-existing HFpEF identifies a high-risk phenotype with elevated crude mortality, but the independent mortality signal is driven by HFrEF. HFpEF events are common and may have important cancer treatment (and therefore prognostic) implications, despite not being formally included in the definition of “CTRCD” in current guidelines. In patients developing HFpEF events, HFA-ICOS baseline risk stratification proformas suggested a low to intermediate CTR-CVT risk in most patients, possibly reflecting an underestimation of this risk and encouraging further optimization of current risk stratification tools.
Introduction:
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) prevalence increases, but in cancer patients undergoing potentially cardiotoxic treatments, HFpEF is not included in baseline risk stratification, nor in cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) definitions. Data on HFpEF in this population are scarce. We described baseline HFpEF prevalence in cancer patients and compared incidence of cancer therapy-related cardiovascular toxicity (CTR-CVT), CTRCD and HFpEF events (new HFpEF diagnosis or…
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