Cardiovascular risk management strategies for high-risk and cancer patients

Alongside the biomarker duo of NT-proBNP and high-sensitivity Troponin T (hs-TnT), a multidisciplinary care model is emerging as a key strategy for effectively managing cardiovascular risk in high-risk patients and those with cancer.

These insights were shared by Assoc. Prof. Pham Nguyen Vinh, MD, PhD, Vice President of the Vietnam National Heart Association and Director of the Heart Center at Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, together with leading experts at the scientific seminar “The Role of Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Risk Stratification and Disease Management: NT-proBNP and High-Sensitivity Troponin T in Cardiovascular Risk Management Strategies for High-Risk and Cancer Patients.” The event was held on July 15, 2026, at the Tam Anh Research Institute, part of the Tam Anh General Hospital Group, and was also livestreamed via Zoom.

Assoc. Prof. Pham Nguyen Vinh, MD, PhD (center), together with physicians and sponsor representatives at the scientific seminar

Assoc. Prof. Pham Nguyen Vinh emphasized that, in the era of personalized medicine, biomarkers are playing an increasingly important role in cardiovascular risk stratification and the early detection of myocardial injury. For patients at high risk, including those with diabetes, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease, NT-proBNP remains the gold-standard biomarker throughout the heart failure care continuum, from early screening and treatment guidance to long-term prognosis.

NT-proBNP improves heart failure risk stratification and management

In her presentation, “Early diagnosis of heart failure in high-risk patients and the role of NT-proBNP throughout the heart failure care continuum,” Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thi Bach Yen, MD, PhD, Head of the Cardiology Department at Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi, described NT-proBNP as a fundamental biomarker throughout the management of chronic heart failure. In acute heart failure, NT-proBNP is also an indispensable test that supports diagnosis, prognosis, treatment response monitoring, and rapid optimization of heart failure medications, helping reduce hospital readmissions and mortality.

Presenting remotely from Tam Anh General Hospital in Hanoi, Dr. Nguyen Thi Bach Yen delivered a presentation on the role of NT-proBNP in the management of patients with heart failure

Patients with cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, atherosclerotic vascular disease, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, exposure to cardiotoxic medications, or a family history of cardiovascular disease, should undergo screening to detect pre-heart failure at an early stage, allowing timely implementation of preventive cardiovascular therapies.

Assoc. Prof. Yen also highlighted the importance of screening for asymptomatic heart failure in adults with diabetes to help prevent or delay progression to symptomatic disease. Persistent hyperglycemia can damage the nerves regulating cardiac function, affecting heart rate and overall cardiac performance, eventually leading to heart failure. Therefore, NT-proBNP testing every 6 – 12 months is recommended for patients with diabetes to screen for asymptomatic heart failure and enable early preventive interventions.

A biomarker duo for cardiovascular protection in cancer patients

In the presentation “Risk stratification, monitoring, and early prediction of cancer therapy-related myocardial injury,” Tran Vu Minh Thu, MD, PhD, Head of the Department of Cardiology 2 at the Heart Center, Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of serious complications and mortality among patients with cancer. As chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapies continue to improve survival, increasing attention is being given to the early detection and monitoring of treatment-related cardiovascular complications because of their potential cardiotoxic effects.

Dr. Tran Vu Minh Thu, highlighted the role of the combined use of high-sensitivity Troponin T (hs-TnT) and NT-proBNP in protecting cardiovascular health in patients with cancer

The combination of high-sensitivity Troponin T (hs-TnT), an ultrasensitive marker of myocardial injury, and NT-proBNP, which reflects myocardial wall stress, has become a valuable strategy for cardiovascular risk management. Changes in these biomarkers enable physicians to detect myocardial injury before functional abnormalities become apparent on echocardiography, allowing timely cardioprotective interventions without disrupting cancer treatment. The ultimate goal is to preserve cardiac function while improving patients’ quality of life.

Multidisciplinary collaboration in cancer care

In his presentation, “Multidisciplinary management of cardiovascular complications in cancer: Practical Applications and Clinical Cases,” Nguyen Nho Hoang Nam, MD, Deputy Head of the Emergency Department at Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, emphasized that improving survival outcomes in cancer care requires multidisciplinary collaboration in managing cardiovascular toxicity. This approach shifts clinical practice from a reactive model to proactive prevention of treatment-related cardiovascular complications.

He noted that successful implementation of this model requires the active participation of clinical pharmacists, specialist nurses, and primary care physicians. However, several challenges remain, including increasing patient volumes, growing case complexity, a shortage of specialists trained in cardio-oncology, and the lack of appropriate funding and reimbursement mechanisms.

Dr. Nguyen Nho Hoang Nam, presented on the growing role of multidisciplinary collaboration in the management and treatment of patients with cancer

Dr. Nam suggested that these challenges could be addressed by establishing consensus between cardiologists and oncologists to develop clinical pathways tailored to each institution’s resources and treatment model. He also emphasized the need to build multidisciplinary teams with strong clinical expertise, effective communication skills, and the ability to reach consensus in complex clinical decision-making, as well as to develop clinical databases and standardized strategies to support decision-making and evaluate treatment outcomes.

Assoc. Prof. Pham Nguyen Vinh concluded that integrating biomarkers such as NT-proBNP and high-sensitivity Troponin T (hs-TnT) with a multidisciplinary care model offers a proactive approach to cardiovascular risk management for high-risk and cancer patients. At the Tam Anh General Hospital Group, this strategy is implemented through close collaboration among the departments of Cardiology, Oncology, Endocrinology, Intensive Care, and other specialties to facilitate early detection of complications, optimize treatment outcomes, and improve patients’ quality of life.