Common Blood Pressure Drug may Increase Risk of Skin Cancer

Researchers from The University of Southern Denmark on December 5, 2017, revealed that a commonly used blood pressure medicine may increase the risk of skin cancer. The findings revealed that using medicines with hydrochlorothiazide drug may increase the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma up to seven times.

Researchers from The University of Southern Denmark had previously found that antihypertensive medicine containing hydrochlorothiazide, which is the most commonly used drugs worldwide can increase the risk of lip cancer. In a recent study, they identified another. In the study published in Journal of the American Association of Dermatology, researchers from the same university identified link between the use of hypertension medicine and the chance of developing skin cancer identified.

Hydrochlorothiazide is one of the most commonly used antihypertensive drugs worldwide. It is a thiazide diuretic that helps in prevention of salt absorption and fluid retention by body. A study had nearly 80,000 participants who claimed that long term use of drugs that help to lower high blood pressure may increase the risk of developing skin cancer. According to a study, hydrochlorothiazide makes the skin more vulnerable to damage from UV sun rays.

“We knew that hydrochlorothiazide made the skin more vulnerable to damage from the sun’s UV rays, but what is new and also surprising is that long term use of this blood pressure medicine leads to such a significant increase in the risk of skin cancer,” said Anton Pottegard, associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark.

Hydrochlorothiazide is frequently used for the treatment of congestive heart failure, symptomatic edema, diabetes insipidus, and renal tubular acidosis. It is used for the prevention of kidney stones in patients with high levels of calcium in their urine. Pottegard suggested that one should not interrupt the treatment without consulting the doctor, as hydrochlorothiazide is an effective and otherwise safe treatment for most patients.