A new study has found that the duration of aromatase inhibitor (AI) treatment in postoperative breast cancer patients does not increase the risk of coronary artery calcification (CAC), a key indicator of heart disease. The findings, published online on September 17 in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, provide reassurance for those undergoing long-term AI therapy as part of their cancer treatment.

Led by Yu Hiasa, M.D., from the Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine in Toon, Japan, the study examined the relationship between the length of AI treatment and CAC severity in 357 breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant endocrine therapy. The researchers assessed the prevalence and severity of CAC, a condition that can lead to coronary artery disease, in these patients.

According to the results, 44.8 percent of the patients showed signs of CAC. However, the study found no significant difference in CAC risk based on the duration of AI therapy. Instead, factors such as older age, lower hemoglobin levels, reduced kidney function, and the presence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia were identified as independent risk factors for CAC.

“Although the debate continues over whether five or 10 years of aromatase inhibitor therapy is optimal, our findings suggest that longer AI use, often prescribed to prevent cancer recurrence or spread, does not increase the risk of coronary artery calcification,” Dr. Hiasa said.

These findings provide valuable insights for clinicians managing breast cancer patients who require extended AI therapy, highlighting that while heart health should still be monitored, longer AI treatments do not appear to exacerbate coronary artery risks.