Allo-HSCT recipients at higher risk of metabolic diseases

Rigorous monitoring is necessary among recipients of allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for the development of metabolic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), suggests a recent study.

This recommendation is based on an enhanced lifelong healthcare policy, including a robust screening program, relative to the general population.

Using a nationwide database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service, a team of investigators conducted a population-based case-control study and analysed data of 8,230 adult allo-HSCT recipients and 32,920 healthy individuals matched in a 1:4 ratio for age, sex, and index date.

Four substudies were then established to examine the relative risks of metabolic disease development following allo-HSCT: hypertension (cohort A study), diabetes (cohort B study), dyslipidaemia (cohort C study), and CVD (cohort D study).

A statistically significantly higher 10-year cumulative incidence of metabolic disease was observed in each experimental cohort compared to that in the control cohort (p<0.001 for all): cohort A study (17.6 percent vs 11.8 percent); cohort B study (23.5 percent vs 14.4 percent); cohort C study (44.5 percent vs 32.1 percent); and cohort D study (4.2 percent vs 3.2 percent).

Moreover, allo-HSCT recipients had adjusted hazard ratios of 1.58 for hypertension, 2.06 for diabetes, 1.62 for dyslipidaemia, and 1.45 for CVD when compared to the incidence of metabolic diseases in the general population.