Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) often receive a drug called daunorubicin.
Daunorubicin is a type of drug called an anthracycline, which increases the risk of some
damage to the heart. Beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) are
two types of drugs that are often used (and are FDA approved) to treat the type of damage to
the heart caused by anthracyclines. They have also been used in some populations to prevent
this type of heart damage. In this study, participants will be randomly assigned to either
preventively take a beta blocker and ACEi or not to receive these. The primary purpose of the
study is to look at how often people in each group develop this type of heart damage. The
study investigators will also collect data about your quality of life and other changes in
your heart function.
Frequency and severity of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity among patients receiving acute
myeloid leukemia (AML) chemotherapy is unknown. We hypothesize that up-titrating study agents
to maximum tolerated dosage at the time of induction (starting treatment for AML) will
prevent the development of systolic dysfunction as determined on serial echocardiography.