Cardiovascular risk factors in hematopoietic cell transplantation survivors: role in development of subsequent cardiovascular disease

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients may be at an increased risk of developing hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia (referred to as cardiovascular risk factors CVRFs); and these factors can potentially increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined the incidence and predictors of CVRFs and subsequent CVD in 1885 consecutive 1+year survivors of HCT performed at City of Hope between 1995 and 2004. Ten-year cumulative incidence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and multiple (≥ 2) CVRFs was 37.7%, 18.1%, 46.7%, and 31.4%, respectively. The prevalence of CVRFs was significantly higher among HCT recipients compared with the general population; contributed to largely by allogeneic HCT recipients. Older age and obesity at HCT were associated with increased risk of CVRFs. History of grade II-IV acute graft versus host disease was associated with an increased risk for hypertension (relative risk RR = 9.1, P < .01), diabetes (RR = 5.8, P < .01), and dyslipidemia (RR = 3.2, P < .01); conditioning with total body irradiation was associated with an increased risk of diabetes (RR = 1.5, P = .01) and dyslipidemia (RR = 1.4, P < .01). There was an incremental increase in 10-year incidence of CVD by number of CVRFs (4.7% none, 7.0% 1 CVRF, 11.2% ≥ 2 CVRFs, P < .01); the risk was especially high (15.0%) in patients with multiple CVRFs and pre-HCT exposure to anthracyclines or chest radiation.