Aromatase Inhibitors – ABC CARDIOL

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Editorial

Is There Any Cardiovascular Concern Regarding the Use of Aromatase Inhibitors in Breast Cancer?

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy in women worldwide, and the second leading cause of cancer mortality. Due to advances in prevention, early detection and treatment, breast cancer mortality has decreased by nearly 40% during the last four decades. However, this optimistic scenario has been counterbalanced by an increasing risk from cardiovascular disease (CVD) in breast cancer survivors. Indeed, CVD is a leading cause of mortality in breast cancer survivors.^– The mechanisms by which these patients are at increased cardiovascular risk are multiple ones, including the effects of cancer itself (inflammation, oxidative stress, prothrombotic status, autonomic dysfunction, etc.) or due to the side effects related to chemotherapy and radiotherapy (metabolic dysfunction, cardiotoxicity). Some of these pathways may have prognostic significance: a previous investigation showed that autonomic modulation in breast cancer patients is an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk.

In this issue of the Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia, the study “Changes in Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Women with Breast Cancer Using Aromatase Inhibitors and the Relation with Biochemical Variables” was aimed to explore not breast cancer but the associations of one of its treatments (namely aromatase inhibitors, AI) with markers of autonomic dysfunction, as well as metabolic and inflammatory parameters in postmenopausal women. The rationale for exploring this specific therapy was based on a recent meta-analysis showing that prolonged AI use had a marginally effect of having a CVD event (odds ratio: 1.18, 95% CI = 1.00-1.40) as compared to placebo.

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Original Article

Changes in Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Women with Breast Cancer Using Aromatase Inhibitors and the Relation with Biochemical Variables

Luana Almeida Gonzaga et al. Thais Reis Silva de Paulo Juliana Viezel Laís Manata Vanzella … Ismael Forte Freitas Jr. Luiz Carlos Marques Vanderlei

Abstract

Background:

The use of autonomic modulation as a predictor of cardiovascular risk in women with breast cancer is important.

Objective:

To evaluate the cardiac autonomic modulation of postmenopausal women using aromatase inhibitors for breast cancer treatment, as well as its relation with the following biochemical variables.

Methods:

Postmenopausal women who did not have breast cancer (n = 33) and postmenopausal women with breast cancer (n = 15). For evaluation of the autonomic modulation the heart rate was recorded beat-to-beat for 30 minutes and the series of RR intervals obtained were used to calculate the following heart rate variability indices: Mean RR ms, SDNN (standard deviation of all normal RR intervals, expressed in milliseconds) ms, Mean HR, RMSSD (square root of the mean of the squared differences between adjacent normal RR interval) ms, NN50 (number of pairs of successive NNs that differ by more than 50 ms) count, pNN50% (proportion of NN50 divided by total number of NNs), RRtri (RR triangular), TINN (triangular interpolation of NN interval) ms, SD1 ms, SD2 ms, LF ms², HF ms², LH/HF ms². The values of biochemical variables (fasting glycemia, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, and C-reactive protein) were analyzed by blood sample.

Results:

Lower values of heart rate variability indices were observed in postmenopausal women with breast cancer in relation to postmenopausal women who did not have breast cancer: Mean RR (p = 0.03); SDNN (p = 0.03); RMSSD (p = 0.03); NN50 count (p = 0.03); pNN50 % (p = 0.03); RRtri (p = 0.02); SD1 (p = 0.01); SD2 (p = 0.02); LF ms² (p = 0.01); HF ms² (p = 0.03).There was an inversely proportional correlation between the indices SDNN, SD2, and HFms² with triglycerides (SDNN p = 0.04; SD2 p = 0.04; HF ms² p = 0.04). No statistically significant correlations were found between heart rate variability indices and others variables. Statistical significance was set at 5% for all analyses.

Conclusion:

Women with breast cancer present reduced autonomic modulation and in these women of heart rate variability indices are inversely correlated with triglyceride values.