Background: Hypertension is an important cause of morbidity, which predisposes patients to major cardiovascular events and mortality. The aim of this study was to explore the association between adherence to antihypertensive medication and clinical outcomes in adult patients with cancer. Methods and Results: Using the 2002 to 2013 Korean National Health Insurance Service–National Sample Cohort, we extracted adult patients with cancer treated with antihypertensive medications. Based on the medication possession ratio value, participants were divided into 3 groups: good (medication possession ratio ≥0.8), moderate (0.5≤ medication possession ratio <0.8), and poor (medication possession ratio <0.5) adherence groups. The primary outcomes were overall and cardiovascular mortality. The secondary outcome was cardiovascular events requiring hospitalization due to major cardiovascular diseases. Among 19 246 patients with cancer with concomitant hypertension, 66.4% were in the nonadherence group (26.3% were moderate and 40.0% were poor adherence group). Over a median of 8.4 years of follow‐up, 2752 deaths and 6057 cardiovascular events occurred. Compared with the good adherence group, the moderate and poor adherence groups had a 1.85‐fold and 2.19‐fold increased risk for overall mortality, and 1.72‐fold and 1.71‐fold elevated risk for cardiovascular mortality, respectively, after adjustment for possible confounders. Furthermore, the moderate and poor adherence groups had a 1.33‐fold and 1.34‐fold elevated risk of new‐onset cardiovascular events, respectively. These trends were consistent across cardiovascular event subtypes. Conclusions: Nonadherence to antihypertensive medication was common in patients with cancer and was associated with worse clinical outcomes in adult patients with cancer with hypertension. More attention should be paid to improving adherence to antihypertensive medication among patients with cancer.

Jung MH, et al. Cardiometab Syndr J. 2023 Oct;4:e1. https://doi.org/10.51789/cmsj.2024.4.e1

Lee SY, et al. Korean Circ J. 2025 Jul;55:e97. https://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2024.0416

Background/Objectives: The diagnostic and therapeutic landscape of amyloidosis has evolved significantly with the introduction of non-invasive imaging and novel agents. However, contemporary real-world data reflecting these recent changes—particularly regarding the burden and prognostic impact of cardiac involvement—remain limited. We aimed to evaluate up-to-date temporal trends in the incidence, prevalence, and outcomes of amyloidosis using a nationwide cohort spanning the recent era. Methods: Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, we identified 5165 patients with newly diagnosed amyloidosis. Cardiac amyloidosis was defined by the presence of heart failure, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, or pacemaker implantation. Propensity score matching was performed to compare mortality risks between patients with and without cardiac involvement. Temporal trends in outcomes were analyzed across three periods (2009–2013, 2014–2018, and 2019–2022). Results: The incidence and prevalence of amyloidosis steadily increased, with a marked rise observed after 2019. Cardiac involvement was identified in 44.6% of patients and was associated with significantly higher risks of all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR] 1.396; 95% CI 1.214–1.606) and cardiovascular death (HR 1.879; 95% CI 1.254–2.816) in the matched cohort. Notably, while all-cause mortality gradually declined over the study period, cardiovascular mortality showed no significant improvement, remaining persistently high even in the most recent cohort. Conclusions: In this contemporary nationwide cohort, the burden of amyloidosis has grown over the past decade. Despite improvements in overall survival, the persistent risk of cardiovascular mortality highlights a critical unmet need for targeted cardiovascular management in this population.

Lee SY, et al. Cardiometab Syndr J. 2024 Jun;4:e10. https://doi.org/10.51789/cmsj.2024.4.e10