What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating the long-term cardiovascular and brain health effects of aromatase inhibitor therapy in female breast cancer survivors. This study focuses on hormone receptor-positive, HER-negative breast cancer patients who have received aromatase inhibitors, examining health outcomes 1, 5, and 10 years after diagnosis. The goal is to understand how this common endocrine treatment may impact heart and vessel structure and function, cerebrovascular health, cognitive function, body composition, bone density, protein metabolism, and lifestyle factors compared to controls. Breast cancer survivors in this study will have undergone usual care with aromatase inhibitors for up to 10 years following their diagnosis. The study compares these survivors to control participants without breast cancer. It evaluates a range of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health indicators, including aortic stiffness, artery stiffness, blood biomarkers, blood pressure, carotid intima media thickness, endothelial function, heart function measures, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, heart rate variability, cerebrovascular response to physical challenges, and cognitive tests. Additionally, body composition, bone mineral density, protein metabolism, diet, physical activity, sleep, stress, and quality of life are assessed. Participants will be evaluated through clinical assessments, imaging, blood tests, and questionnaires to track these health indices. The primary outcome measure is aortic stiffness assessed during an in-person session on day 2. Secondary measures include various vascular and cardiac function tests, cerebrovascular and cognitive assessments, and lifestyle evaluations. The study aims to characterize biological and behavioral cardiovascular health changes over time, hypothesizing that impairments may begin as early as one year post-diagnosis and worsen with longer therapy duration.

Chronic Impacts of Endocrine Therapy on Cardiovascular and Brain Health Outcomes in Breast Cancer