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Updated: Jul 1, 2025
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Measuring the Carotid to Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity Cf-PWV to Evaluate Arterial Stiffness
Published on: May 3, 2018
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Arterial Stiffness May Predict Subsequent Cancer Therapy-Related Cardiac Dysfunction in Breast Cancer Patients
Mürsel Şahin1, Seher Nazlı Kazaz2, Fatih Kartaler3
1Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, 61000, Trabzon, Turkey. mursel61@yahoo.com.
Cardiovascular Toxicology
|March 8, 2024
Summary
Arterial stiffness (AS) measurement, including pulse wave velocity (PWV), can predict cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) in breast cancer patients. This offers a new tool for risk stratification in low to medium-risk individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Oncology
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) poses a significant clinical challenge.
- Current risk stratification models inadequately assess risk in low to medium-risk patients.
- Arterial stiffness (AS) is associated with known cardiovascular risk factors and may offer predictive value.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate arterial stiffness (AS) parameters, including pulse wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AIx), and augmentation pressure (AP), as predictors of subsequent CTRCD in breast cancer (BC) patients.
- To assess the utility of AS measurements in identifying patients at risk for developing CTRCD, particularly those not well-classified by existing scores.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study including breast cancer (BC) patients.
- Baseline AS parameters (PWV, AIx, AP) and echocardiographic data were collected before treatment.
- Echocardiographic follow-up, including left ventricle global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), was performed during treatment to identify CTRCD development.
- Statistical analysis, including correlation and ROC curve analysis, was used to determine the predictive value of AS parameters.
Main Results:
- CTRCD, defined by LVGLS decline, occurred in 18 (26.8%) of 67 BC patients.
- Patients with CTRCD showed higher prevalence of left ventricle hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction.
- Significantly higher PWV, AIx, and AP were observed in patients with CTRCD (p<0.05).
- A strong positive correlation was found between PWV and decreased LVGLS (R=0.607, p<0.001).
- ROC analysis indicated PWV had an AUC of 0.747 (p=0.02), with a threshold of 9.2 m/s predicting CTRCD with 94% sensitivity and 73% specificity.
Conclusions:
- Arterial stiffness (AS) parameters, particularly pulse wave velocity (PWV), demonstrate significant potential for predicting cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) in breast cancer patients.
- AS measurement may serve as a valuable, non-invasive tool for risk stratification of CTRCD in low to medium-risk breast cancer populations.
- Integrating AS assessment into routine monitoring could improve early detection and management of cardiac complications in cancer survivors.
