MONDAY, June 11 (HealthDay News) -- Men aged 65 years or older who are treated with androgen suppression therapy for prostate cancer for six months have fatal myocardial infarctions significantly sooner than men who are not, according to study findings published in the June 10 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Anthony V. D'Amico, M.D., Ph.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues examined the time to myocardial infarction in 1,372 men with prostate cancer who received radiation therapy and androgen suppression therapy for varying lengths of time.
After a median follow-up of at least 4.8 years, the researchers found that men who were 65 years or older and who received androgen suppression therapy for six months had fatal myocardial infarctions significantly sooner than men in this age group who did not receive suppression therapy.
"Prospective studies are necessary to identify the mechanisms and risk factors that are operative so that preventative strategies can be developed," D'Amico and colleagues conclude. "While awaiting the results of such studies, the current study provides evidence to support a cardiovascular evaluation and if indicated, intervention prior to the initiation of androgen suppression therapy for men age 65 or more in order to prevent premature fatal myocardial infarctions."
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