Survivors of hematological malignancies face increasing long-term health risks, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), as overall survival improves. A population-based registry analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology evaluated short- and long-term cardiovascular risk across common hematological malignancies compared with the general population.

The study included 174,984 adults diagnosed with one of 12 hematological malignancies between 1995 and 2023 in the Netherlands Cancer Registry, matched with 855,085 control subjects. Cardiovascular outcomes were identified through national hospitalization and mortality registries, and risk estimates were derived using Poisson regression and Fine and Gray competing risk models.

Heart failure incidence was higher across all malignancy subtypes, with the greatest excess rates in myelodysplastic syndrome (37.75 per 1,000 person-years; 95% CI 35.60–39.90) and multiple myeloma (24.68 per 1,000 person-years; 95% CI 23.46–25.90). Venous thromboembolism risk peaked within the first year after diagnosis and remained elevated for up to 5 years. First-year hazard ratios for deep venous thrombosis ranged from 3.52 (95% CI 2.58–4.80) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia to 34.04 (95% CI 19.83–58.44) in Hodgkin lymphoma.

These findings indicate a sustained and subtype-specific burden of cardiovascular risk in this population.