Common antihypertensive drugs are linked to skin cancer risk

Long-term use of drugs to lower high blood pressure may increase the risk of developing skin cancer, a study with nearly 80,000 recent participants showed.

Hydrochlorothiazide - one of the most popular antihypertensive drugs in the world - is a medicine that helps prevent the body from absorbing too much salt, which can hold water.

The findings suggest that the use of drugs containing hydrochlorothiazide increases the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma, growing in the outer layer of the skin seven times as high.

"We know that hydrochlorothiazide makes the skin vulnerable to the sun's UV rays, but what's new and surprising is that long-term use of this blood pressure drug leads to a significant increase in skin cancer risk." . - Anton Pottegard, associate professor at the University of Southern Denmark, said in a statement.
Previous researchers have demonstrated that hydrochlorothiazide may increase the risk of lip cancer.

In the study published in the Journal of the American Association of Dermatology, the team observed the risk of skin cancer with other commonly used hypertension drugs.

In addition to treating hypertension, hydrochlorothiazide is often used in the treatment of congestive heart failure, edema symptoms, diabetes mellitus and renal acidosis.

Tablets are also used to prevent kidney stones in people with high calcium in their urine.

"However, our results suggest that doctors, hospitals, and therapists should review the use of hydrochlorothiazide. Hopefully, with this study, we can contribute to ensuring that Pottegard noted that high blood pressure is safer in the future.

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