There is new research linking ADT to cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular health. The new data come from a retrospective look at 616 men with prostate cancer who had their cardiorespiratory fitness tested on a treadmill. The researchers wanted to assess the impact of ADT on cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular mortality, as well as see how the duration of ADT influenced those outcomes.
Of the 616 men, 51 had been on ADT for less than 6 months (“short-term ADT”), and 91 men had been on ADT for more than 6 months (“prolonged ADT”). The remaining men had not been on ADT.
Results: Prolonged ADT (greater than 6 months) was associated with reduced cardiorespiratory fitness and increased cardiovascular mortality. However, this effect was not observed in men who were only on ADT short-term.
For men with prostate cancer, and with higher cardiovascular risk factors in particular, ADT for greater than 6 months is associated with reduced cardiorespiratory fitness and increased risk of cardiovascular-related mortality. Exercise interventions represent a potentially effective strategy for offsetting these risks.
To read the study abstract, please see:
https://ascopubs.org/doi/abs/10.1200/JCO.2019.37.15_suppl.11576
Gong, J., Payne, D., Caron, J. P., Bay, C., McGregor, B. A., Hainer, J., Partridge, A. H., Neilan, T. G., Di Carli, M., Nohria, A., Groarke, J. (2019). Cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiovascular mortality after prolonged androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer [Abstract]. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 37 (15 suppl), 11576-11576. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2019.37.15_suppl.11576