Proteinuria and Risk for Heart Failure in 55,191 Patients Having History of Cancer

We examined the association of proteinuria with the risk for heart failure (HF) and other cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in patients with prior history of breast, colorectal, or stomach cancer using a nationwide population-based database.

We conducted this retrospective observation study using the JMDC Claims Database and analyzed 55,191 patients with prior history of breast, colorectal, or stomach cancer. The median age was 54 (48-60) years, and 20,665 participants (37.4%) were men. Using urine dipstick data at baseline, 3,945 and 1,521 participants were categorized as having trace and positive proteinuria, respectively. Using Cox proportional hazards models, we examined the relationship of proteinuria with the incidence of HF and other CVD events.

Over a mean follow-up of 2.8 ± 2.2 years, 1,597 HF, 124 myocardial infarction, 1,342 angina pectoris, 719 stroke, and 361 atrial fibrillation events were recorded. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that the cumulative incidence for HF increased with proteinuria category (log-rank p < 0.001). After multivariable adjustment, hazard ratios of trace and positive proteinuria for HF were 1.24 (95% CI, 1.04-1.47) and 1.62 (95% CI, 1.30-2.02), respectively. The presence of proteinuria was also associated with a higher risk for angina pectoris and atrial fibrillation.

Proteinuria was associated with a greater risk of developing HF and other CVD events in patients with prior history of cancer. The optimal management strategy for patients with proteinuria and cancer needs to be established for the prevention of HF in cancer patients.