Chen, Sunnia T.

Abstract Aims Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) reduce major adverse cardiovascular events in diabetics. This study aimed to investigate the cardiac, cancer, and overall mortality effects of GLP-1 RAs in diabetics treated with anthracyclines. Methods and results We retrospectively identified 1384 diabetics treated with anthracyclines from 2013 to 2023; 56 received GLP-1 RAs between their first and last dose of anthracycline. These patients were propensity score matched 4:1 to 224 controls without concurrent GLP-1 RA use. Because stage was not available for 10 of the 56 patients, a repeat analysis was conducted with additional matching for cancer stage in 46 cases and 92 controls. Major endpoints were rate of all-cause and cancer-related and cardiovascular disease (CVD)–related mortality, no evidence of disease (NED), and hospitalization for CVD including heart failure (HF), over 5 years. Survival analyses were conducted using cause-specific hazards Cox regression. Patients on GLP-1 RAs had a significantly lower 5 year overall mortality (HR 0.46, CI 0.24–0.87, P = 0.007) and cancer-related mortality (HR 0.42, CI 0.19–0.91, P = 0.03). This mortality risk reduction remained significant even when accounting for covariates (HR 0.39, CI 0.20–0.75, P = 0.002). The percentage of patients with NED was higher in the GLP-1 RA than control group (60.9% vs. 38.0%, P = 0.007). A decline in left ventricular ejection fraction was seen in controls but not in patients on GLP-1 RAs. There was no significant difference in CVD hospitalization; the rate of HF-related hospitalization was very low overall. Conclusion GLP-1 RAs may offer survival benefits and better cancer- and cardiac function-related outcomes in diabetics undergoing anthracycline chemotherapy.

Abstract Contemporary anticancer therapies frequently have different efficacy and side effects in men and women. Yet, whether women are well‐represented in pivotal trials supporting contemporary anticancer drugs is unknown. Leveraging the Drugs@FDA database, clinicaltrials.gov , MEDLINE, and publicly available FDA‐drug‐reviews, we identified all pivotal (phase II and III) non‐sex specific trials supporting FDA‐approval of anticancer drugs (1998–2018). Observed‐enrollment‐rates were compared to expected‐population‐rates derived from concurrent US‐National‐Cancer‐Institute's Surveillance‐Epidemiology‐and‐End‐Results (SEER) reported rates and US‐Census databases. Primary outcome was the proportional representation of women across trials, evaluated by a participation‐to‐prevalence ratio (PPR), according to cancer type. Secondary outcome was the report of any sex‐specific analysis of efficacy and/or safety, irrespective of treatment‐arm. Overall, there were 148 trials, enrolling 60,216 participants (60.5 ± 4.0 years, 40.7% female, 79.1% biologic, targeted, or immune‐based therapies) evaluating 99 drugs. Sex was reported in 146 (98.6%) trials, wherein 40.7% (24,538) were women, compared to 59.3% (35,678) men ( p < .01). Altogether, women were under‐represented in 66.9% trials compared to the proportional incidence of cancers by respective disease type; weight‐average PPR of 0.91 (relative difference: ‐9.1%, p < .01). Women were most under‐represented in gastric (PPR = 0.63), liver (PPR = 0.71), and lung (PPR = .81) cancer trials. Sex‐based safety data was reported in 4.0% trials. There was no association between adequate female enrollment and drug efficacy (HR: 0.616 vs. 0.613, p = .96). Over time, there was no difference in the percentage of women recruited into clinical trials. Among pivotal clinical trials supporting contemporary FDA‐approved cancer drugs, women were frequently under‐represented and sex‐specific‐efficacy and safety‐outcomes were commonly not reported.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia that can impair quality of life and increase cardiovascular mortality. Previous studies have shown potentially better outcomes with rate-control agents in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Yet, optimal treatment of AF is not yet known. Methods: Leveraging data from the AFFIRM trial, we performed a post-hoc analysis examining outcome differences in patients on rate vs. rhythm-control agents, based on CAD status. The primary outcome was defined as death from any cause; secondary outcomes included ischemic stroke, major bleeding, and hospitalization after baseline. Univariate and multivariate modeling were used to determine risk factors associated with designated outcomes. Results: Of 4060 patients enrolled, 1551 patients had CAD at baseline. There were no differences in treatment randomization based on CAD status; however, more patients with CAD had worse heart function and comorbid CHF. More patients with CAD ultimately used some form of rate-control compared to those without. Overall, CAD patients were more likely to experience death (HR 2.08 [1.79-2.42], P<0.001), specifically those on rhythm-control (HR 1.24 [1.01-1.52], P=0.04, Figure). CAD patients were also more likely to have ischemic stroke (HR 1.24 [1.00-1.53], P=0.05). When comparing CVD vs. non-CVD death, only CAD patients on rhythm-control exhibited a significantly higher rate of CVD death (HR 1.39 [1.03-1.89], P=0.03), while no differences in primary outcomes were noted for all other groups (P>0.05, Figure). In multivariate modeling, the effect of treatment arm on risk of CVD death in CAD patients diminished upon accounting for age, smoking, rhythm at randomization, first episode of AF, CHF, and LVEF<50% (HR 1.18 [0.93-1.50], P=0.17). Conclusions: AF patients with CAD on rhythm-control agents exhibited worse CVD outcomes, which may be more reflective of heart disease severity rather than treatment effects.

Background With lymphoma survival rates increasing and a growing population of long-term survivors, the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in this patient population is of increasing importance. Anthracyclines are critical in the management of many lymphoma subtypes. However, there is a risk of developing anthracycline-induced CVD. Here, we estimate the cumulative incidence of CVD in adult lymphoma survivors and investigate risk factors associated with post diagnosis CVD. Methods Participants were from the Mayo component of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) of the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE). From 2002-2015, the MER offered enrollment to all patients with newly diagnosed lymphoma who are US residents and age &gt;18 years. Participants completed a risk factor questionnaire, and clinical and treatment data were abstracted from medical records. Patients were contacted every 6 months for the first 3 years after diagnosis and annually thereafter to assess disease status, re-treatment and new onset morbidity including CVD. CVD events, including congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary artery disease (CAD), valvular heart disease (VHD), and arrhythmia were identified and validated against medical records. CHF was validated with the Cardiovascular Health Study Criteria and/or the Framingham Criteria. CAD, arrhythmia, and VHD were validated using clinical definitions. We calculated the cumulative incidence of CVD, with death modeled as a competing risk. The association of risk factors and treatments with risk of CVD was estimated using hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) from Cox regression with a competing risk of death. Risk factors included age, sex, diabetes, smoking, body mass index (BMI), and treatment with anthracyclines or radiation therapy. Results The study consisted of 3,063 lymphoma patients after excluding those with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and CVD prior to lymphoma diagnosis. The median age at diagnosis was 59 years (range 18-95), and 56% were males. At a median follow-up was 6.9 years (range 0.8-17.1), 640 patients (21%) had died without CVD and 485 patients self-reported CVD post lymphoma diagnosis, of which 280 (57.7%) were validated. Cardiovascular events included 86 CHF, 78 CAD, 40 VHD, and 164 arrhythmias. The cumulative incidence of CVD (Figure 1) at 5 and 10 years was 6.0% (95% 5.2%-7.0%) and 10.7% (95% CI 9.5%-12.1%), respectively. In multivariable analysis, increasing age (HR=3.93 per 5 years, p&lt;0.001), male sex (HR=1.33, p=0.03), former smoker (HR=1.04, p=0.77), current smoker (HR=1.96, p&lt;0.001), BMI&gt;30 kg/m2 (HR=1.50, p=0.01), and anthracycline treatment (HR=1.49. p&lt;0.001) were all significantly associated with risk of overall CVD, while there was no association with diabetes (HR=0.92, p=0.70) or radiation therapy (HR=1.05, p=0.78) in the multivariable model. Anthracycline use was significantly associated with increased risk of CHF (HR=2.64, p&lt;0.001) and arrhythmia (HR=1.51, p&lt;0.01), but not VHD (HR=0.83, p=0.56) or CAD (HR=1.23, p=0.31) after adjustment for the cardiac risk factors. The number of anthracycline cycles ranged from 0 to 12. 63.2% of individuals that received anthracyclines received 6 cycles. The 5-year cumulative incidence of CVD for 0, 1-5, 6, and &gt;6 anthracycline cycles was 5%, 6.9%, 7.4%, and 7.7%, respectively. Adjusting for cardiac risk factors, the number of anthracycline cycles was significantly associated with increased risk of CVD (1-5 cycles HR=1.34, p=0.11; 6 cycles HR=1.51, p&lt;0.01; &gt;6 cycles HR=2.04, p=0.03). Furthermore, the number of anthracycline cycles was associated with CHF (1-5 cycles HR=2.82, p&lt;0.001; 6 cycles HR=2.46, p&lt;0.001; &gt;6 cycles HR=5.33, p&lt;0.001) and arrhythmia (1-5 cycles HR=1.31, p=0.27; 6 cycles HR=1.60, p&lt;0.01; &gt;6 cycles HR=1.65, p=0.27). Conclusions In the modern treatment era, the risk of new onset CVD in patients with lymphoma without a history of CVD is approximately 1% per year after diagnosis. Arrhythmia and CHF were the most commonly occurring CVD events in this cohort. Both traditional CVD risk factors and treatment with anthracyclines was associated with an increased risk of developing CVD, and anthracyclines were a risk factor for arrhythmia and CHF in particular. Prevention of CVD in lymphoma patients will need to address both treatment and traditional lifestyle factors. Figure 1 Disclosures Maurer: Morphosys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Nanostring: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding. Nowakowski:Selvita: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; NanoString: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Research Funding. Cerhan:NanoString: Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Purpose The development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a relatively rare but a clinically important adverse event in the treatment of lymphoma, particularly in individuals receiving anthracyclines. There are few studies assessing the role of germline genetic susceptibility as a predictor of CVD in this setting. We evaluated the association of 24 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from candidate genes involved in anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity, CVD, and venous thromboembolism with new-onset CVD in a prospective cohort of lymphoma patients treated in the modern era. Methods All patients were from the Mayo component of the Molecular Epidemiology Resource (MER) of the University of Iowa/Mayo Clinic Lymphoma SPORE. Enrollment from 2002-2015 was offered to patients with newly diagnosed lymphoma who were age ≥18 years. Clinical, pathology and treatment data were abstracted using a standard protocol, and participants provided a peripheral blood sample, from which DNA was extracted. All patients were prospectively contacted every 6 months for the first 3 years from diagnosis and then annually thereafter to assess disease status, re-treatment and development of new morbidities, including CVD. Reported CVD events included congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary heart disease (CHD), arrhythmia, valvular heart disease (VHD), and other CVD. These events were identified during follow-up and validated against medical records. Genotyping was conducted using a custom Illumina iSelect platform with rigorous quality controls. For each SNP, Cox regression was used to estimate Hazard Ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) with time to first CVD, using death without CVD as a competing risk. HRs were also obtained for time to CHF, using death without CVD as a competing risk. We also modeled these events for all patients and for patients receiving frontline anthracyclines. Each SNP was modeled as having a log-additive (per minor allele) effect in the regression model. An ordinal test was used to assess the trend, with a nominal P<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results There were a total of 3,063 newly diagnosed lymphoma patients (excluding chronic lymphocytic leukemia) with no history of CVD at time of lymphoma diagnosis, of which 1280 had genotype data available for analysis. The median age at diagnosis was 59 years (range, 18-95) and 56% were male. The most common subtypes were follicular (26.3%), diffuse large B-cell (23.2%), Hodgkin (11.3%), marginal zone (11.2%), mantle cell (6.3%) and T-cell (5.4%) lymphoma. Anthracycline-based chemotherapy as initial therapy was used in 52% of individuals. At a median follow-up of 6.9 years (range, 0.1-17.1), 363 (30.7%) patients died, and 173 (13.5%) had new-onset CVD after lymphoma diagnosis. There were 234 incident CVD events in the 173 patients: 49 CHD, 50 CHF, 27 VHD, 103 arrhythmias, and 5 other CVD. Results are shown in the Table. When assessing all CVD, F5 (rs4524) (HR=1.28, 95% CI=1.03-1.58) and F11 (rs4253399) (HR=1.30, 95% CI=1.06-1.61) were associated with CVD at P<0.05; both associations attenuated slightly when restricted to anthracycline-treated patients (F5 HR=1.18, 95% CI=0.89-1.57; F11 HR=1.23, 95% CI=0.92-1.65). F11 was more strongly associated with CHF (HR=1.55, 95% CI=1.03-2.34) and CHF in anthracycline-treated patients (HR=1.64, 95% CI=0.98-2.76). NCF4 (rs1883112) was marginally associated with lower risk of CVD overall (HR=0.81, 95% CI=0.66-1.00), and this association strengthened when restricted to anthracycline-treated patients (HR=0.67, 95% CI=0.49-0.91) and showed similar trends in HRs for CHF (HR=0.77, 95% CI=0.51-1.16) and CHF in anthracycline-treated patients (HR=0.72, 95% CI=0.41-1.28), although neither estimate was statistically significant at P<0.05. Finally, while XDH (rs2236168) was not associated with all CVD (HR=1.00, 95% CI=0.81-1.23), it was associated with CHF (HR=0.66, 95% CI=0.47-0.93) overall, but attenuated in anthracycline-treated patients (HR=0.81, 95% CI=0.55-1.18). Conclusions In this exploratory study of candidate SNPs from the literature, we found limited evidence for a role of germline genetic variability in predicting risk of CVD or CHF in a cohort of lymphoma patients, especially after accounting for multiple testing. To fully address this hypothesis, future studies will need larger sample sizes and more comprehensive genetic assessment. Disclosures Maurer: Celgene: Research Funding; Morphosys: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Nanostring: Research Funding. Nowakowski:NanoString: Research Funding; Genentech, Inc.: Research Funding; MorphoSys: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding; Curis: Research Funding; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd: Research Funding; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Selvita: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Cerhan:Celgene: Research Funding; NanoString: Research Funding; Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.