A novel tool may help predict the risk of cardiovascular complications following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and guide the pretransplant process, according to a new Scientific Statement published by Hayek et al in Circulation. In two recent studies, researchers developed a novel points-based risk score using information from the Cardiovascular Registry in Bone Marrow Transplantation (CARE-BMT), which compiles data from patients who underwent transplant from two institutions—including age, race, history of coronary artery disease or heart failure, and prior doses of cardiotoxic chemotherapy. In the first study, published by Vasbinder et al in JACC: Cardio-Oncology, researchers reported that among 3,300 patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation between 2008 and 2019, 4.1% and 13.9% of them experienced adverse cardiovascular events within 100 days and 5 years of the procedure, respectively. Overall, cardiovascular complications during hospitalization were rare, the most common of which was atrial fibrillation diagnosed after 5 years (6.8%) followed by heart failure (5.4%). Severe cardiovascular complications were uncommon. Additionally, a greater proportion of allogeneic transplant recipients experienced long-term adverse cardiovascular events after 5 years compared with autologous recipients (16.4% vs 12.1%). In the second study, published by Vasbinder et al in the Journal of the American Heart Association, researchers analyzed over 2,400 adult patients and identified a high-risk group accounting for over 30% of the patients. The 5- and 10-year cardiovascular complication rates were a respective 31.9% and 55%. The novel risk score performed equally well in allogeneic and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, as well as in a separate cohort of over 900 patients. The study authors concluded: “This innovative … tool significantly improves our ability to provide a safer path throughout treatment to our cell therapy recipients possessing cardiovascular comorbidities, which … will have a positive effect on long-term recovery and quality of life.”