Cardiovascular Risk Stratification of Patients Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: The CARE-BMT Risk...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Hematology
• Transplantation Medicine

Background:

• Cardiovascular evaluation before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) lacks robust evidence.
• Risk stratification is crucial for optimizing HSCT outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To derive and validate a pre-HSCT cardiovascular risk score.
• To improve cardiovascular risk stratification for HSCT candidates.

Main Methods:

• Leveraged the CARE-BMT multicenter observational study (N=2435).
• Identified key predictors of post-HSCT cardiovascular events.
• Developed and externally validated a point-based risk score.

Main Results:

• The risk score incorporates age, transplant type, race, comorbidities (CAD, HF, PAD), creatinine, triglycerides, and anthracycline dose.
• 5-year cardiovascular event incidence was 4.0% (low), 10.3% (intermediate), and 22.4% (high) risk.
• The score demonstrated good predictive accuracy at 100 days, 5 years, and 10 years post-HSCT.

Conclusions:

• The CARE-BMT risk score provides a simple method for cardiovascular risk stratification in HSCT candidates.
• Facilitates targeted referrals to cardiovascular specialists and guides long-term monitoring.