Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease and Risk Factors Among Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are the leading causes of mortality in the United States. Although CVD influences cancer management and outcomes, data on CVD among U.S. cancer patients are limited. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to describe the prevalence and distribution of CVD among hospitalized U.S. cancer patients. METHODS: We analyzed prevalence of CVD by age, sex, race, and cancer type among hospitalized cancer patients from 2016 to 2020 using the National Inpatient Sample database. Weighted estimates were generated per National Inpatient Sample guidelines. Categorical data are reported as counts, percentages, and 95% CIs, and continuous data as mean ± SE. RESULTS: An estimated 24,748,225 hospital encounters (mean age 68.0 ± 16.1 years) were analyzed. Coronary artery disease (CAD) was the most prevalent CVD (23.9%), followed by atrial fibrillation (20.3%), and heart failure (18.3%). Men had higher prevalence of heart failure, atrial fibrillation, CAD, myocardial infarction, revascularization, cardiac arrest, and stroke compared with women. Black patients had higher prevalence of hypertension (75.2%), obesity (15.5%), end-stage kidney disease (6.9%), and pulmonary hypertension (5.1%). Mortality was highest among Asian/Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and Blacks (5.5%, 4.9% and 4.7%, respectively), compared with Whites (3.9%). Among cancer types, patients with prostate cancer had the highest prevalence of CVD. CONCLUSIONS: CAD is the most common CVD among hospitalized patients with cancer. Men, Black patients, and those with prostate cancer face disproportionately higher burden of CVD; and in-hospital mortality was highest among non-Whites, underscoring the need for proactive, targeted cardiovascular care in oncology.