Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular risk factor in cancer patients - data from the CONNECT-POL registry.

Background

Arterial hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor (CVRF) associated with increased risk of cardiotoxicity in cancer patients.

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hypertension in patients with newly diagnosed cancer and compare it with the prevalence in the general population.

Methods

Data were derived from the CONNECT-POL registry, the largest prospective Polish study assessing the burden of cardiovascular problems among cancer patients. Inclusion criteria were adult age and newly diagnosed breast, lung, colorectal, or prostate cancer. The occurrence of CVRF and cardiovascular diseases were recorded during a cardiology consultation.

Results

Between October 2023 and February 2025 in 11 centers 1523 patients were enrolled - 951 women, 572 men, at median age 67 (interquartile range 16) years. The most frequent CVRF was arterial hypertension, present in 949 patients (62.3%). The prevalence of hypertension reached 79.1% in colorectal, 75.1% in prostate, 69.4% in lung, and 50.1% in breast cancer. In multivariable analysis, hypertension was independently associated with age, body weight, dyslipidemia, diabetes, obesity and colon cancer compared to other cancer types. After age standardization to the structure of the WOBASZ II study, the prevalence of hypertension was higher among patients with colorectal (P = 0.045) and lung (P = 0.002) cancer compared with general population.

Conclusions

The prevalence of hypertension in cancer patients is very high compared to the general population and varies by cancer type, being highest in colorectal cancer and lowest in breast cancer patients. These results highlight the importance of routine blood pressure monitoring and encouraging home blood pressure monitoring in patients scheduled for oncological therapy.