Redox imbalances in ageing and metabolic alterations: Implications in cancer and cardiac diseases. An overview from the working group of cardiotoxicity and cardioprotection of the Italian society of cardiology (SIC)
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a well established risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) diseases. In addition, several studies indicate that MetS correlates with the increased risk of cancer in adults. The mechanisms linking MetS and cancer are not fully understood. Several risk factors involved in MetS are also cancer risk factors, such as the consumption of high calorie-food or high fat intake, low fibre intake, and sedentary lifestyle. Other common aspects of both cancer and MetS are oxidative stress and inflammation. In addition, some anticancer treatments can induce cardiotoxicity, including, for instance, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and heart failure (HF), endothelial dysfunction an…
Arterial hypertension in cancer: The elephant in the room
The great therapeutical success achieved by oncology is counterbalanced by growing evidences of cardiovascular (CV) toxicity due to many antineoplastic treatments. Cardiac adverse events may cause premature discontinuation of effective oncologic treatments or occur as late events undermining the oncologic success. Arterial hypertension is both the most common comorbidity in cancer patients and a frequent adverse effect of anticancer therapies. A pre-existing hypertension is known to increase the risk of other cardiac adverse events due to oncologic treatments, in particular heart failure. Moreover, as a strict association between cancer and CV diseases has emerged over the recent years, var…