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Animal data suggest that defects in BRCA1/2 genes significantly increase the risk of heart failure and mortality in mice exposed to doxorubicine. Women with BRCA1/2 mutations who develop breast cancer (BC) may receive anthracyclines but their risk of cardiac dysfunction has not been investigated. Our study tested the hypothesis that women with history of BRCA1/2 mutation-associated BC treated with anthracyclines have impaired parameters of cardiac function compared to similarly treated women with history of sporadic BC. Women with history of BC and anthracycline treatment underwent an echocardiographic exam for assessment of primary outcomes, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global longitudinal strain (GLS). The sample size of 81 provided 79 % power with two-sided two-sample t test and alpha of 0.05 to detect a clinically meaningful difference in cardiac function of absolute 5 % points difference for LVEF and 2 % points difference for GLS. Of 81 normotensive participants, 39 were BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and 42 in the sporadic group. Mean age was 50 ± 9 years in both groups (P = 0.99) but BRCA1/2 mutation carriers had longer anthracycline treatment-to-enrollment time (7.5 ± 5.3 vs. 4.2 ± 3.3 years, P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in LVEF (P = 0.227) or GLS (P = 0.53) between the groups. LVEF was normal in 91 % of women and subclinical cardiac dysfunction defined as absolute GLS value

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor profiles of Arab Americans may differ from those of the majority ethnic groups in the United States on which clinical practice guidelines are based. Reasons for these differences include genetic homogeneity and both cultural and lifestyle factors that influence CVD risk. Therefore, appropriate therapeutic targets for effective CVD prevention in Arab Americans need to be designed. However, research on Arab American health is sparse. For the cross-sectional survey described in this article, a convenience sample of Arab Americans living in Washington, DC; Virginia; and Maryland was recruited. Arab Americans in our sample had a higher prevalence of high cholesterol and lower prevalence of diabetes and hypertension than the general population of the United States. High levels of smoking and a lack of physical activity were also reported. Most participants (71%) reported a score of 15 and below on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, indicating no signs of clinical depression. Predictors of depression were compared in those born inside and outside the United States. With the results from this survey, we have designed a cross-sectional study to begin in early 2010 to determine the prevalence of CVD risk factors in Arab Americans which can be compared with the overall population of the United States.