In a recent study, scientists found that patients with cancer are 5 times more likely to get a heart attack or stroke. Life expectancy is reduced by 5-10 years. Scientists have concluded: only prevention can increase patient survival.
How does cancer affect blood vessels?
Many types of cancer directly affect blood coagulation. Obvious result: deep vein thrombosis. The association of cancer with venous thrombosis was recognized 150 years ago. It is estimated that 20% of all venous thromboembolism are observed in patients with cancer. Therefore, thrombosis for no apparent reason in an elderly person always indicates a possible cancer.
It is less known that cancer also causes arterial thrombosis. The most important consequences are a stroke or heart attack. Babak Navi of Vail Cornell Medical Center, New York, examined data from various people.
Of the 3,743 American older people who got cancer, 2,313 had a heart attack or stroke.
The difference was with the control group without cancer was 5 and a half times greater. An increase in the risk of arterial thrombosis was detected 150 days before the diagnosis. The likelihood continued to increase as the disease progressed.
The risk was most pronounced in patients with lung and colon cancer. The greatest probability of dying from a heart attack was in people with malignant neoplasms of stage 3 or 4.
After a heart attack and a stroke, the risk increases again due to cancer?
Patients with stroke have a high risk of suffering a repeated thromboembolic event - stroke, heart attack or thrombosis. This conclusion was reached by other scientists in a retrospective analysis.
Cancer cells not only multiply, but also secrete coagulant compounds. They stimulate blood coagulation, which makes cancer patients more susceptible to ischemic strokes.
There are also signs that such patients are at great risk of having a second heart attack or stroke. If this assumption is confirmed, it may have consequences for the prophylactic treatment of cancer patients after a stroke.
Researchers collected data from 2005 to 2009 from 236 cancer patients at the American Cancer Center. The frequency and characteristics of thromboembolism in this group of patients were also studied. Death monitoring was available in 230 subjects.
Of these patients, 90 (39%) again experienced a stroke or myocardial infarction. A rather high indicator was observed, because the participants lived on average only 84 days. Among them there were 57 cases of venous thromboembolism, 36 new ischemic strokes, 13 heart attacks.
The risk of thromboembolism was 21% for one month. 31 and 37% for 3 and 6 months in other patients. For stroke rates were significantly higher. Almost 3 times more often, the disorder occurred in stroke patients.
How important is cancer preventative therapy?
Researchers have found that the presence of adenocarcinoma is a statistically significant independent risk factor for recurrent heart attack. Patients with this cancer diagnosis (60%) had a 65% higher risk.
The authors of the study conclude that cancer patients are at high risk for a new stroke. There is also a high prevalence of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism. Life expectancy in this patient population is usually very small.
However, these results should first be confirmed in prospective studies, scientists emphasize.
Patients can reduce the risk of morbidity with simple preventative therapy. With the regular use of anticoagulants, the risk is reduced by 40-60%. Following medication prescribed by your doctor helps most people rule out a heart attack or stroke.
Failure to comply with the doctor's recommendations is fraught with repeated cardiovascular disorders. Patients who discontinued therapy lived 80% less. The importance of prophylactic agents should not be neglected. For any symptoms, you should consult a cardiologist or local GP.
