Can BP drugs increase cancer risk?

A debate on the potential link between blood pressure drugs and cancer has been going on for years. Researchers were divided over whether the use of antihypertensive medication can increase or decrease the risk of cancer. Now, a large study has concluded that there is no evidence that blood pressure-lowering medications can increase the risk of cancer.

The study, presented at the ‘ESC Congress 2020’ conference, reassured people about the safety of antihypertensive drugs with respect to cancer. The researchers analysed the cancer outcomes in participants of 31 randomised trials investigating antihypertensive medication. The trials included around 260,000 people. Five antihypertensive drug classes including angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and diuretics were investigated separately.

There were around 15,000 new diagnoses of cancer during an average of four years, but the researchers found no evidence that the use of any antihypertensive drug class increased the risk of cancer.

According to the study, there was no important effect on any individual drug class on overall cancer risk.

BP drugs can protect you against heart attacks and stroke

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiac conditions. When you have high blood pressure, your blood vessels thicken and over time become stiff. This makes the heart work harder to continue pumping blood through them and that ends up putting too much stress on your heart and causing different types of heart disease. These include:

Coronary artery disease

When the blood vessels become thick and narrow, plaque may build up on the artery walls. Plaque accumulation in the arteries can cause coronary artery disease, which can result in a heart attack or heart failure. One study suggested that adults with hypertension are 11 times more likely to develop coronary artery disease.

Heart attack

The build-up of plaque in the arteries may lead to the formation of blood clots, which can block blood flow to the heart. Lack of enough oxygen and nutrients may damage the heart muscle and results in a heart attack.

Heart failure

High blood pressure can stress the heart and over time it can make it larger and less efficient. Eventually, this can lead to heart failure, which occurs when the heart can’t provide enough blood to the body. A study in Massachusetts found that 91% of those who developed heart failure also had hypertension.

Ischemic stroke

Blood clots in arteries that lead to the brain can cause an ischemic stroke. When brain cells, or neurons, didn’t get sufficient blood supply, they will stop working and heavily impair your body’s most vital functions. Estimates suggest that hypertension contributes to about 40% to 50% of ischemic strokes.

Hemorrhagic stroke

Hypertension is also strongly related to hemorrhagic stroke. Sometimes, high blood pressure may cause blood vessels to burst. If it happens in the brain, it is called a hemorrhagic stroke. According to researchers, hypertension can increase the odds of hemorrhagic stroke by about 10 times.

In most cases, people don’t know they have high blood pressure until they have had one of the unfortunate consequences. Therefore, high blood pressure is also called a “silent killer.” Regular medical care and checkups can help spot the risk of hypertension and prevent serious complications.

If you do have hypertension, taking antihypertensive drugs can help control your blood pressure and protect against heart attacks and strokes. The results of the new study may also have cleared your doubts about the safety of antihypertensive drugs with respect to cancer.

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