After cancer, higher risk of severe heart attack

The researchers from Mayo clinic located in Rochester, Minn analyzed data from over 2,300 patients who had this rear type of heart attack referred to as ST-elevation myocardial infarction. For every 10 patients, one of them had a cancer history.

New Challenges developing after Cancer Fight

The study senior author Dr. Joerg Herrmann, said that they had “watched cancer survivorship increase over the past two-and-a-half decades, which is wonderful.” He went on to say that “it has led to new challenges, such as handling of downstream illnesses and side effects to an extent never encountered before.” Herrmann works as an interventional cardiologist at the same clinic.

Through a news release, Mayo clinic said that their aim as cardiologists was to be aware whether “cancer and its therapies left these patients debilitated from a cardiovascular disease standpoint.”

Not all attacks are fatal

As much as the study revealed a lot of unknown details like cancer survivors facing increased cases of heart attack, it does not imply all these are fatal. In any case, the research provided additional information that most of the heart attacks did not lead to death of the cancer survivors. The authors noted that they stood three times chances of dying from disease not related to the heart.

The main diagnosed problem after the heart attack in the cancer survivors is cardiogenic shock. This is a condition in which the heart all of a sudden fails pump sufficient amount of blood.

In the event of that happening, these patients were offered intra-aortic balloon pump therapy. That involves inserting a device that assists the heart pump blood. When one gets to a stage where he/she needs such treatment, it signifies a reduction in the heart’s ability to pump blood.

Cancer Survivors follow-up

After the survivors having successfully fought cancer, their next booking to the hospital is likely to be a heart attack, as explained by experts during follow-up. However, to avoid that, providing adequate medical treatment helps them lower the risk of dying from heart disease.

Herrmann said that “This study supports the importance of cardiologists and oncologists working together to care for these patients.”

He added that it should be their goal to ensure the today cancer patients do not become the cardiac patients of the future. “If they do, that we comprehensively see them through,” he said.