Cardiovascular disease in chronic myelomonocytic leukemia: do monocytosis and chronic inflammation predispose to accelerated atherosclerosis?

Patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) have monocytosis and likely a state of chronic inflammation. Both have been associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that CMML patients are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to persistent monocytosis and sustained chronic inflammation. In a retrospective cohort study, we assessed hazards for cardiovascular events after diagnosis in 112 CMML patients and 231 chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients. Analyses were carried out on restricted cohorts (CMML = 84, CLL = 186), excluding patients with a prior history of CVD, as well as on unrestricted cohorts. In the restricted cohorts, a significant effect of cardiovascular event occurrence did not remain after adjustment (HR 2.49, 95% CI 0.94-6.60). In unrestricted cohorts, we found a more than twofold increased rate of cardiovascular events in CMML (HR 2.34, 95% CI 1.05-5.20). Our results indicate an increased risk of CVD after the diagnosis in CMML patients.