The relationship between body composition and left ventricular performance in women with breast, lymphoma, or sarcoma cancer

Background To understand how body composition in those with elevated body mass index impacts left ventricular function decline during cancer treatment, we determined the association between baseline body mass index (BMI), intra-abdominal adipose tissue (IAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) with baseline to 3-month left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) change among women receiving potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy for breast cancer, lymphoma, or sarcoma.

Methods Women underwent potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy, such as doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, paclitaxel, and trastuzumab, for treatment of breast cancer, lymphoma, or sarcoma.

We obtained magnetic resonance images (MRIs) of body composition and cardiac function prior to treatment, and then a repeat MRI for cardiac function assessment at three months into treatment.

Analyses and assessment of abdominal adipose tissue volumes and LVEF outcomes were conducted by independent reviewers blinded to all patient identifiers.

A general linear model was created to examine associations between adipose tissue depots, BMI, and 3-month LVEF change.

Results Women ( n  = 210) aged 56 ± 11 years with breast cancer, lymphoma, and sarcoma were enrolled ( n  = 195, 14, 1 respectively).

Baseline BMI, IAT, and SAT fat were independently associated with 3-month LVEF declines ( p  = 0.001 to 0.025 for all).

After adjusting for baseline cardiovascular disease risk factors, BMI, IAT, and SAT, BMI remained the only variable associated with 3-month LVEF decline ( p  = 0.047).

Conclusions These results suggest that factors other than abdominal adipose tissue or traditional cardiovascular risk factors may contribute to 3-month declines in LVEF among women with elevated BMI receiving potentially cardiotoxic chemotherapy.

Further investigation should be conducted on psychosocial stress, physical activity, sleep, or diet.

Trial registration DETECTIV_NCT01719562, WF99112, & WF97415—NCT02791581.