A latest study published in the ‘European Heart Journal’, revealed that atrial fibrillation is significantly higher in women after a breast cancer diagnosis. Atrial fibrillation refers to an abnormal heart rhythm that leads to poor blood flow. It is one of the leading causes of overall cardiovascular deaths and increased cardiovascular diseases have become a limitation for optical outcomes in breast cancer patients.
This study collected data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare registry which included 85,423 women who were 66 years and older, diagnosed with any stage of breast cancer. The aim of the study was to assess incidence, risk factors, and associated mortality of atrial fibrillation in breast cancer patients.
The results showed that the annual incidence of atrial fibrillation was 3.9% with highest rate in the first 60 days after breast cancer diagnosis, higher in older and black females. The stage and grade of breast cancer were strongly associated with development of atrial fibrillation with over 300% higher chances in those with advanced stage breast cancer. New onset of atrial fibrillation after breast cancer diagnosis increases all-cause cardiovascular mortality.
Thus, the results of the study indicated that a diagnosis of breast cancer is associated with increased incidence of atrial fibrillation. Advanced breast cancer had a systemic effect on the heart, increasing the risk of atrial fibrillation and mortality rates were increased in breast cancer patients with new onset atrial fibrillation. Early cardiologic interventions after breast cancer diagnosis may help to reduce mortality.
Source: Guha A, Fradley M, Dent S et al. Incidence, risk factors, and mortality of atrial fibrillation in breast cancer: a SEER-Medicare analysis. Eur Heart J. 2021.
Source link: https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehab745/6427396
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