Cardiovascular adverse events occur frequently during carfilzomib therapy in Chinese patients with multiple myeloma, and elevated baseline N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels were identified as an independent predictor of subsequent carfilzomib-related cardiovascular adverse events.
Nearly half of Chinese multiple myeloma patients treated with carfilzomib developed cardiovascular adverse events.
The majority of cardiovascular adverse events occurred early in the course of carfilzomib treatment.
Severe hypertension was the most common cardiovascular complication, followed closely by arrhythmia.
Elevated baseline N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were independently associated with carfilzomib-related cardiovascular adverse events.
This research suggests that a substantial proportion of Chinese multiple myeloma patients—nearly half—experience serious heart or blood vessel problems while being treated with carfilzomib, a commonly used cancer drug. The most frequent problems were dangerously high blood pressure and irregular heart rhythms. Importantly, most of these cardiovascular complications appeared within the first three months of starting treatment, which points to the importance of early and close monitoring. The study also found that a specific blood test marker called NT-proBNP, when elevated before treatment begins, was strongly associated with a more than sixfold increased risk of developing these cardiovascular complications. This suggests that measuring NT-proBNP levels before starting carfilzomib could help doctors identify which patients are at higher risk and may need more careful cardiovascular monitoring throughout their treatment. This research matters because carfilzomib is an effective treatment for multiple myeloma, but its cardiovascular side effects can be serious. By identifying a measurable biomarker that predicts risk before treatment starts, clinicians may be better equipped to tailor monitoring strategies and potentially intervene earlier to protect heart health in vulnerable patients. The findings are based on real-world clinical data from a Chinese hospital, filling a gap in knowledge about how this drug affects patients in the Chinese population specifically.
Wei X, Chen F, Xiao Y, Lyu H. (2026). Risk factors for carfilzomib-related cardiovascular adverse events in Chinese patients with multiple myeloma: A real-world retrospective cohort study.. The Journal of international medical research. https://doi.org/10.1177/03000605261476840