Cancer medicines causing heart diseases, says study

With modern technologies, the field of medical science has also advanced. Doctors and scientists have discovered new treatment methods to cure several deadly diseases, including cancer. Modern medications are so effective that they have increased survival rates.

However, a study by University College London has discovered shocking side effects of medicines used for the treatment of cancer.

As per the study, some cancer treatments can harm the heart, a condition known as cardiotoxicity. Cancer medicines can affect the heart's pumping ability and sometimes can lead to heart failure.

A study published in the journal Science Advances has identified proteins in the blood that are linked to an increased risk of developing heart diseases that are affected by cancer treatment drugs.

The researchers pinpointed 33 proteins that are present in the blood and associated with the risk of developing several heart diseases. These included different types of heart failure, and atrial fibrillation (a common abnormal heart rhythm which increases the risk of stroke).

According to the lead author of the study Dr Floriaan Schmidt (UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science), "The proteins identified in our study will help to accelerate future drug development, offering scientists a blueprint for new treatments for both cancer and heart diseases. This can help them to be more confident of the effects of the drugs that they design - whether that's shrinking tumours without causing damage elsewhere".

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: "While there have been advances in treating cancer, one of the consequences has been a risk of heart damage from these drugs.

"This research points the way towards developing safer and more refined drugs so that, one day, worries about developing heart problems after cancer treatment might be a thing of the past."