Cardiovascular disease risk after treatment-induced primary ovarian insufficiency in female survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma.

Abstract

114 Background: Female survivors of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) treated with alkylating chemotherapy (CT) and/or pelvic radiotherapy (RT) have an increased risk of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). Among women with a natural menopause, POI has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined whether treatment-induced POI increases long-term CVD risk in HL survivors. Methods: From a large Dutch cohort of 5-year HL survivors, we selected 918 women who were treated before 41 years of age between 1965 and 2000. Data on HL treatment, menopausal status and cardiovascular events (ischemic heart disease (IHD), heart failure (HF) and valvular heart disease (VHD)) were obtained from medical records, general practitioners and patient questionnaires. CVD risks were estimated with Cox regression models using time-dependent covariates and attained age as the time scale. Results: After a median follow-up of 24 years, 299 out of 918 women (33%) had developed POI (median menopausal age, 34 years). We identified 463 cardiovascular events in 300 women, of whom 85 developed CVD after POI. POI was not associated with subsequent CVD risk (HR:0.85, 95% CI 0.62-1.16) compared with a menopausal age of ≥40 years. Compared with women who reached menopause at ages ≥50 years, the HRs for menopausal ages of < 30 years, 30-39 and 40-49 years were 0.90 (95% CI 0.52-1.56), 0.87 (95% CI 0.57-1.33) and 0.96 (95% CI 0.64-1.44), respectively. Furthermore, a short duration of intact ovarian function after HL treatment ( < 5 years) did not increase CVD risk compared to a long duration (≥25 years) (HR:0.72, 95% CI 0.44-1.20). 177 women had used HRT, of whom 115 (65%) with POI (median duration of HRT use, 8.3 years). Women who used HRT for ≥5 years did not have a higher CVD risk than non-HRT users (HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.64-1.62). Similar results were found in analyses with IHD, HF and VHD as separate outcomes. Conclusions: POI and duration of post-treatment intact ovarian function did not affect CVD risk in HL survivors, suggesting that an early artificial menopause does not increase CVD risk.