Cardiovascular function in leukemia patients: an observational prospective study

In the last decade, both the incidence and the survival of acute leukemia has been increasing. Therefore, detection of associated illnesses is important. We have recently observed that patients with acute leukemia treated with anthracyclines develop a high rate of symptomatic heart failure. To avoid this life-threatening illness, early detection of cardiac dysfunction and implementation of cardioprotective therapies are crucial. The aims of this study are three folds: 1) to define the rate of cardiac and vascular complications in adult patients with acute leukemia 2) to follow the time course of parameters of cardiac size and function and blood pressure in these patients 3) to test whether changes in sensitive parameters of cardiac or vascular function detected using echocardiograms, tonometry and blood tests, or preexisting genetic mutations, can predict later decrease in cardiac function in these patients. We will also examine whether these sensitive parameters of cardiac function identify patients who will develop cardiovascular events. This is a prospective, observational, single-center study. Adults with recently diagnosed acute leukemia at the hospital of University of Pennsylvania or the outpatient Perleman Center for Advanced Medicine will be selected. All patients will be studied using echocardiograms and blood tests before chemotherapy, 14 days, 28 days, 45-60 days, 6 months, and 12 months after the first dose of chemotherapy, for a total of 6 studies in 1 year. Our study sample size is 100 patients.