Survivors of cancer, spouses affected by cardiovascular disease at variable rates

According to the results of the study presented at the 44th ONSO Annual Conference, cancer survival programs aimed at reducing cardiovascular disease should include both patients and their spouses, both of which are badigned to variable rates depending on bad and role.

Cardiovascular disease is known to be the leading cause of death among cancer survivors, but their understanding in spouses – who are also affected by the disease and the stress that comes with it – is very limited, Lixin Song, Ph.D. , RN, FAAN, University of North. Carolina at Chapel Hill, said during his presentation at Congress.

The researchers therefore sought to examine the link between cardiovascular disease and health-related behaviors among survivors and their spouses (n = 1026 couples), which were identified during the panel survey on health care expenditures. conducted from 2011 to 2015. Cancer survivors had previously received at least one type of the most common types of cancer, including bad, prostate, lung, colon, bladder, uterine melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, thyroid, kidney and kidney.

Cardiovascular diseases included hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, angina, heart attacks, hypercholesterolemia and other heart diseases. The modifiable health behaviors related to cardiovascular disease were smoking, recommended physical activity and body mbad index (BMI).

The most common types of cardiovascular disease among survivors and spouses were hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes and other heart diseases, regardless of the bad of the survivors.

The majority of survivors (84.59%) and spouses (82.55%) were over 50 years of age and were white (89%).

The congruence on the incidence of cardiovascular disease ranged from 55% to 93% among survivors and their spouses – including angina (93%), stroke (88%), heart attack (86%), coronary artery disease (82%), and stroke. %) and other heart disease. (74%), diabetes (73%), hypertension (58%) and hypercholesterolemia (55%). Thus, a significantly higher percentage of patients than spouses were hypertensive (56% vs. 52%; P <0.05), heart attack (9% vs. 7%; P <0.05) and diabetes (31% vs. 17%; P <0.05).

Similarly, the modifiable health behaviors of couples were congruent, for example, not smoking (85%), being physically active (63%) and being obese (63%). It should be noted that a higher percentage of spouses who participated in the recommended physical activity (P <0.01).

In surviving men (n = 557 couples), patients experienced increased hypertension (65% vs. 54%; P <0.0001), coronary heart disease (17% vs. 8%; P <0.0001), angina (6% vs 4%; P <0.05), heart attack (13% vs. 5%; P <0.0001), high cholesterol level (61% vs 46%; P <0.001) and diabetes (26% versus 17%; P <0.001) compared to their spouses. Similarly, more male survivors were obese (24% versus 14%; P <0.001) and smokers (14% vs. 9%; P <0.01).

At the same time, among women survivors, researchers found higher percentages of spouses with coronary artery disease (50% vs. 47%; P <0.001), heart attack (8% vs. 5%; P <0.05) and high cholesterol (52% vs. 43%; P <0.01) compared to patients. Although more spouses of surviving women are obese (23% vs. 14%; P <0.001) and more engaged in the recommended physical activity (53% vs. 41%; p <0.001) compared to patients.

"We can integrate the results of this study into our intervention," Song said. "We can say that when we work in research and clinical practice, we must prescribe behavior for health. We need to encourage survivors and their caregivers to adopt modifiable health behaviors so that they can reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease and improve their quality of life. "

Reference:

Song L, Guo P, T Guan and Tan X. Cardiovascular disease and modifiable health behaviors of cancer survivors and their spouses: findings from the Health Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Presented at: ONS 44th Annual Congress; April 11-14, 2019; Anaheim, CA. Abstract 4848.