Shared and Reciprocal Mechanisms Between Heart Failure and Cancer ― An Emerging Concept of Heart-Cancer Axis ―
The commonest causes of death are heart failure, (30%) and cancer (15%). It has become clear that there is an association between the two. Patients with ovarian cancer have a 60% increased risk of developing heart failure. Patients with heart failure are more likely (20%) to have cancer and have a higher risk (70%) of developing cancer.
This article suggests the reasons for this combination of disease. There are shared lifestyle factors such as age, smoking and obesity. Also, common pathways of disease are present with inflammation, hypertension and blood cell variation called clonal haematopoiesis of indeterminate pathology (CHIP). End stage disease of cancer, with cachexia also has an impact on cardiac muscle, with heart failure frequently being the terminal event.
Because of the high likelihood of both diseases the authors suggest the concept of a Heart-Cancer-Axis. Understanding of likely double disease will assist earlier intervention and improve survival.
No comments:
Post a Comment