Taking statins ‘may protect heart from damage during breast cancer treatment’

Statins – a type of medication used to lower cholesterol – may protect women’s hearts from damage while they undergo treatment for early-stage breast cancer, a study suggests.

Chemotherapies with anthracycline, as well as the targeted cancer medicine trastuzumab, are commonly used to treat breast cancer but can be toxic to the heart.

Researchers in Canada have found that taking statins may protect against the cardiac cell damage but are yet to figure out how they work.

Husam Abdel-Qadir, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation in Canada, said: “Two types of cancer medications, anthracyclines and trastuzumab, are effective treatments for many women with breast cancer.

“However, the risk of heart muscle damage has limited their use, particularly in women who are at higher risk for heart problems because of their age or other medical issues.

“The mechanisms for these medications are essential to kill breast cancer cells – however, these processes can also damage the cells of the heart muscle, leading to weakening of the heart.”

The researchers looked at the health records of women aged 66 and above in Ontario between 2007 and 2017.

Their aim was to review the occurrence of heart failure in patients who received anthracyclines or trastuzumab for newly diagnosed early-stage breast cancer.

Each woman taking statins was matched with a peer who was not taking the drug.

Researchers found that in the 666 pairs of women treated with anthracyclines, those taking statins were 55% less likely to be treated at the hospital for heart failure.

Meanwhile, in the 390 pairs of women receiving trastuzumab, those taking statins were 54% less likely to be treated at the hospital for heart failure, which the researchers said suggested a protective trend but did not meet statistical significance.

Prof Abdel-Qadir said: “Our findings support the idea that statins may be a potential intervention for preventing heart failure in patients receiving chemotherapy with anthracyclines and potentially trastuzumab.”

However, the experts said that their study is observational and does not show a cause-and-effect relationship between taking statins and a lower risk of heart failure.

They said further research is needed in the form of randomised controlled trials to investigate the findings.

Prof Abdel-Qadir said said: “This study does not conclusively prove statins are protective.

“However, this study builds on the body of evidence suggesting that they may have benefits.

“For women with breast cancer who meet established indications for taking a statin, they should ideally continue taking it throughout their chemotherapy treatment.

“Women who do not have an indication for a statin should ask their health care team if they can join a clinical trial studying the benefits of statins in protecting against heart muscle damage during chemotherapy.

“Otherwise, they should focus on measures to optimise their cardiovascular health before, during and after chemotherapy.”

The research is published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.