Risk of cardiovascular disease following degarelix versus gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists in patients with prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer treatment involves hormonal therapies that may carry cardiovascular risks, particularly for long-term use. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonists, such as degarelix, may offer advantages over agonists, but comprehensive comparative cardiovascular outcomes are not well established. This study aimed to systematically review and analyze the cardiovascular safety profiles of degarelix compared to those of traditional GnRH agonists, providing critical insights for optimizing treatment strategies.

Methods: We used Medline (PubMed), Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases to identify included studies using a preferred search strategy. All studies assessed the cardiovascular events profile between degarelix versus GnRH agonists were included in our study. We used the review manager version 5.4 to perform the analysis.

Results: 13 studies (160,214 participants) were included in this meta-analysis. Degarelix was associated with a significantly lower incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events [RR: 0.60, 95%CI (0.41, 0.88), P value = .008]. Incidence of stroke [RR: 0.92, 95%CI (0.56, 1.50), P value= .74], hypertension [RR: 0.85, 95%CI (0.37, 1.93), P value= .69], myocardial infarction [RR: 0.82, 95%CI (0.55, 1.21), P value= .31], heart failure [RR: 0.88, 95%CI (0.63, 1.23), P value= .46] and arrhythmia [RR: 0.61, 95%CI (0.24, 1.54), P value= .30] did not reach a statistically significant difference between groups.

Conclusion: Degarelix demonstrates a lower incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events compared to GnRH agonists, suggesting a potential cardiovascular safety advantage in prostate cancer treatment. Further studies are required to prove the results of our systematic review and meta-analysis.

Keywords: Cancer; Cardiovascular; Degarelix; GnRH; Prostate.