NCT03779217

Brief Summary

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) occurs less frequently in women than in juvenile men.Frequently the estrogen deficiency associated with the menopausal state affects cardiovascular outcomes. In fact, in the post-menopausal state, even younger women may experience an increase in the rate of ischemic heart disease (IHD). On the other hand, CVD may also occur in premenopausal young women, due to not well known and/or not clearly investigated mechanisms. In addition, pre-menopausal women with IHD show atypical symptoms and more frequently myocardial infarction vs. angina pectoris. In detail, in these patients IHD is frequently due to mono-vessel coronary heart disease, and to the presence of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and type 2 diabetes. So, it is clear that all these pro-atherogenic risk factors which lead to IHD in women, are significantly lower in the pre-menopausal vs. post-menopausal patients. However, the causes leading to IHD and acute coronary events in pre-menopausal women remain poorly understood and poorly investigated, and these factors might be different from the traditional coronary risk factors evident in the general population. In this context, recently some authors have shown that subcutaneous abdominal fat affects cardiovascular performance at 1 year of follow-up in patients with normoglycemia vs. pre-diabetic. Therefore, here authors can hypothesize that in a population of female subjects, the fat tissue present in the mammary gland and the different degrees of mammary adipocyte infiltration can somehow invalidate the number of cardiovascular events in women of childbearing age. In detail, the different distribution of adipose tissue in the mammary gland can influence the density of the breast, as studied by mammographic examination, which is used to divide breast density into 4 different categories:

  • Category A: the breast is represented by 80% of adipose tissue and less than 20% by fibro-glandular tissue.
  • Category B: the breast is represented by adipose tissue in the range of 50-75% and for the rest by fibro-glandular tissue.
  • Category C: the breast is represented by fatty tissuein the range 25-50% and the rest is from fibro-glandular tissue
  • Category D: the breast is represented by almost entirely fibro-glandular tissue. Therefore, in the present study authors correlated the 4 different breast categories with CVD and 10-year follow-up IHD in women of child-bearing age. In fact, according to authors' opinion, a breast with higher fat density (category A) might influence the number of adverse cardiovascular events at 10-year follow-up in asymptomatic women. Thus, pre-menopausal women with breast tissue in category A ("fatty breast") as compared to women with prevalence of fibro-glandular tissue ("non-fatty breast") may have a higher frequency of adverse cardiac ischemic events at 10 years of follow-up. On the other hand, the molecular pathways implied in worse CVD in these cohorts of women are not fully investigated. Furthermore, the authors aimed to investigate the expression of inflammatory cytokines and sodium glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) protein expression, as markers of over-inflammation, at level of breast gland in these cohorts of women. Thus, these markers were analyzed in the breast fat tissue excissed from the fatty vs. non-fatty breast women.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
10,000

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for all trials

Timeline
Completed

Started Jan 2008

Longer than P75 for all trials

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 2, 2008

Completed
11 years until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

December 17, 2018

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

December 19, 2018

Completed
2 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

January 2, 2021

Completed
1 month until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

February 2, 2021

Completed
Last Updated

November 24, 2023

Status Verified

November 1, 2023

Enrollment Period

13 years

First QC Date

December 17, 2018

Last Update Submit

November 21, 2023

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • myocardial infarction

    Authors will evaluated for all follow up duration the number of myocardial infarction

    10 years

Study Arms (4)

group A

In this group there are women in that the mammography shows a breast represented by 80% of adipose tissue and less than 20% by fibro-glandular tissue.

Other: screening mammographyProcedure: mastoplasty and breast fat excission

group B

In this group there are women in that the mammography shows a breast represented by adipose tissue in the range of 50-75% and for the rest by fibro-glandular tissue

Other: screening mammographyProcedure: mastoplasty and breast fat excission

group C

In this group there are women in that the mammography shows a breast represented by adipose tissue in the range 25-50% and the rest is from fibro-glandular tissue.

Other: screening mammographyProcedure: mastoplasty and breast fat excission

group D

In this group there are women in that the mammography shows a breast represented by almost entirely fibro-ghiandular tissue.

Other: screening mammographyProcedure: mastoplasty and breast fat excission

Interventions

As indicated by international guidelines authors will perform screening mammography in all asymptomatic women.

group Agroup Bgroup Cgroup D

As indicated by guidelines, and in accordance to the breast surgery reduction criteria, the authors will practice a surgical intervention of mastoplasty. During the mastoplasty, authors will remove the breast fat tissue.

group Agroup Bgroup Cgroup D

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 75 Years
Sexfemale
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
Sampling MethodNon-Probability Sample
Study Population

The study population will include asymptomatic women without neoplastic breast disease and other neoplastic diseases. These patients at enrollment did not have previous history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events. At enrollment all women did not have a diagnosis of menopausal status.

You may qualify if:

  • patients with indication to receive a screening MiD, patients without breast cancer diagnosis (previous or recent diagnosis), pre-menopausal status, without inflammatory chronic disease and other neoplastic diseases. Patients without previous history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events. Patients with indication to receive a breast reduction surgery (relief of physical pain and discomfort associated with heavy, pendulous breasts; complain of chronic back and neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, deep bra-strap grooves, and rashes beneath both breasts; breast chronically painful as well, evidence of upper extremity neuropathy and postural changes, along with intertrigo, maceration, irritation, rashes, and other dermatologic manifestations; difficulty with many forms of exercise and the inability to find properly fitting clothe; patients that received a full package of supportive care, advising on weight loss and managing pain, physiotherapy and assessment for thoracic / shoulder girdle discomfort).

You may not qualify if:

  • aged \< 18 years, patients without indication to receive a screening MiD, patients with breast cancer diagnosis (previous or recent diagnosis), menopausal status, inflammatory chronic disease, other neoplastic diseases; previous history of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular adverse events.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Raffaele Marfella

Naples, 80138, Italy

Location

Related Publications (1)

  • Sardu C, Gatta G, Pieretti G, Viola L, Sacra C, Di Grezia G, Musto L, Minelli S, La Forgia D, Capodieci M, Galiano A, Vestito A, De Lisio A, Pafundi PC, Sasso FC, Cappabianca S, Nicoletti G, Paolisso G, Marfella R. Pre-Menopausal Breast Fat Density Might Predict MACE During 10 Years of Follow-Up: The BRECARD Study. JACC Cardiovasc Imaging. 2021 Feb;14(2):426-438. doi: 10.1016/j.jcmg.2020.08.028. Epub 2020 Oct 28.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cardiovascular DiseasesMyocardial Ischemia

Interventions

Mammaplasty

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Heart DiseasesVascular Diseases

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Cosmetic TechniquesTherapeuticsPlastic Surgery ProceduresSurgical Procedures, Operative

Study Design

Study Type
observational
Observational Model
COHORT
Time Perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
medical doctor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

December 17, 2018

First Posted

December 19, 2018

Study Start

January 2, 2008

Primary Completion

January 2, 2021

Study Completion

February 2, 2021

Last Updated

November 24, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-11

Locations