Heart News
Cancer increases heart disease risk
Survivors face higher chances in the long-term , but early diagnosis is possible
People who survive cancer are at a higher risk of developing heart damage over the years , but diagnostic scans could help detect the problem early , in-depth research suggests .
Previous studies had already shown that cancer survivors were at risk of stroke and heart failure in the first year after diagnosis . The new study investigated the long-term risk these patients faced while also analysing their cardiovascular imaging in the hopes of spotting damage before symptoms appeared . Researchers at Queen Mary University of London sifted through health data of 18,714 people with a previous diagnosis of lung , breast , prostate , blood , womb , or bowel cancer and compared it with similar data from cancer-free individuals . Tracking their health over 12 years , the authors found that one third of people in the cancer group developed cardiovascular conditions while just one fourth in the other pool of participants did . The greatest risk was observed in lung or blood cancer survivors , half of whom had a heart problem like ischaemic heart disease , abnormal heart rhythm , and heart failure .
“ This study adds to existing knowledge about the impact of some cancer treatments on cardiovascular disease in cancer survivors ,” said Martin Ledwick , the head information nurse at Cancer Research UK , according to the Guardian . “ It may help to inform strategies for how some cancer survivors need to be monitored long-term , especially in situations where they have been discharged from cancer follow-up to the care of their GPs .”
First two myocarditis deaths likely linked to COVID vaccine in Singapore
Still , the risk of COVID infection is higher than the risks from vaccination , but people who get the jab are advised to avoid strenuous activities for two weeks
The Singapore Ministry of Health ( MOH ) has determined that the death of two people who succumbed to myocarditis in 2021 were “ likely to be related ” to the COVI�-1� vaccines produce by Moderna and Pfi�er� BioNTech , with their families receiving S $ 225,000 compensation each .
One known risk of the two vaccines is myocarditis , or inflammation of the heart muscle , but MOH says cases are rare , with a rate of 0.1 per 100,000 doses for the bivalent vaccine and 1.1 for monovalent vaccines . To put this into perspective , more than 17 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Singapore with just two deaths related to them .
“ Available data suggests that the majority of cases of myocarditis following vaccination are generally mild and respond to treatment . COVID-19 infection is also known to be associated with myocarditis , several times higher than the incidence after vaccination ,” according to MOH .
The statement added that , as a precautionary measure , people who get vaccinated should avoid strenuous physical activities for two weeks after vaccination in order to reduce the risk of myocarditis .
It ’ s also worth noting that the risk of developing myocarditis from COVID-19 infection is higher than the chances of developing it from vaccination .
“ Most people ( 95 %) who develop myocarditis after receiving a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine have only mild symptoms that go away within a few days . Vaccine-linked myocarditis is less likely to cause lingering heart problems than myocarditis due to COVID-19 illness ,” Dr Jerome Fleg , a programme officer with the National Heart , �ung , and Blood Institute ’ s Division of Cardiovascular Sciences in the US , said on the website of the National Institutes of Health .
30 ISSUE 2 | 2023 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com