Cancer risks in BP meds

If anyone sees which meds these are would they please post the names ASAP?

Thanks Nick

Cardiologists Discover Cancer Risks in Blood Pressure Medications

ScienceDaily (June 15, 2010) — University Hospitals Case Medical Center cardiologists have uncovered new research showing an increased risk of cancer with a group of blood pressure medications known as angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs).

This class of drugs is used by millions of patients not only for high blood pressure but also for heart failure, cardiovascular risk reduction and diabetic kidney disease.

University Hospitals Harrington-McLaughlin Heart & Vascular Institute's Drs. Ilke Sipahi, Daniel I. Simon and James C. Fang recently completed a meta-analysis of over 60,000 patients randomly assigned to take either an ARB or a control medication. Their findings are published online in The Lancet Oncology.

The researchers found that patients randomized to ARBs has "significantly increased risk of new cancer" compared to control patients.

"We have found the risk of new cancers was increased with these medications by 8-11 percent," said Dr. Ilke Sipahi, associate director of heart failure and transplantation and assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "Most importantly, risk of lung cancer was increased by 25 percent."

However, the research did not establish any link between ARBs and other types of cancer such breast cancer.

"This is the first time an association between ARBs and cancer development is suggested," Dr. Sipahi continued. "While our findings are robust, they need to be replicated in other studies before they can be considered as definitive."

Before this study, there were no major safety concerns with ARBs except for their use in pregnancy and in patients with chronic kidney or blockages of kidney arteries. Interestingly, previous animal studies with ARBs have been negative for cancer development.

"In medicine, physicians must balance the benefits and risks of all drug and device therapies," said Dr. Daniel Simon, director of the Harrington-McLaughlin Heart & Vascular Institute at University Hospitals Case Medical Center and professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. "We recommend that patients discuss the findings of this study with their physicians since ARBs are effective agents in the treatment of high blood pressure and heart failure. Meta-analyses are a powerful tool to look at low frequency safety signals, but require confirmation with other approaches, such as large national health and managed care registries."

I found this article.

The drugs, such as telmisartan, losartan and candesartan, work by stopping a hormone that prevents blood vessels from dilating - the cause of high blood pressure.
Although the drugs are considered safe, with only pregnant women and those with kidney problems advised against them, one previous trial reported a significant increase in fatal cancers in patients treated with candesartan.

Thanks Clare...where did you find that article? Can you send me a link please?

Typical I'm on Candersartan or should that be CandeSATAN?

I can't take any of the 'prils' as they give me a worse rhinitis than I get with Cande... and also the dry cough with them.

They are massivley prescribed and I can't see why this research...or the results of it have taken so long to come out....mind you some of the beta blockers took years to be shown up as likley to GIVE you diabetes!

Just don't have much time at the moment to do any research on this unfortunately but will see what else I can find out as and when. I doubt that GP's will a) know much about it or b) change scripts as the drugs are so successful.

Is this one of the original Catch 22 Russian Roulette scenarios?

Nick

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/acamc/2006/00000006/00000005/art00005

This actually says that they can inhibit tumour growth (2006) study

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1286404/Common-blood-pressure-drug-raises-cancer-risk.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

See this article albeit in the Mail !!

It's quite interesting that one day you get 'diabetes sufferers are less likley to get prostate cancer etc' and then you get this report/study. I can't get hold of the study itslef at the moment and it would be interesting to see the criteria etc that they have used and whether the research is 'valid' or that they have 'reviewed' a large amount of people and come to some pretty loose or questionable results/conclusion.

For the moment I think it is definitely a question of keep taking the tabs until an informed decision is taken to say NO...and that may well not happen in this country. If I see anything else I will post...if anyone else does would they please post it as information and knowledge is power and power to manage our own conditions is the best way to go.

(hehehe don't quote me to yr GP please !!)

Take care all
Nick

That was the article I linked to

ahhh !!

Hehehehee great minds .... etc