Long-term use of medicines for high BP does not raise breast cancer risk

Washington: A new study to be presented at 2014 American Heart Association Scientific in Chicag reveals that women who consume general blood pressure medication do not have an increased of suffering from breast cancer. The study, carried out by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah, analysed the records of more than 3,700 women (aged 50 to 70) with no history of breast cancer, who consumed calcium channel blocker medications to control their blood pressure for a long period of time. (Read: 6 breast cancer symptoms you should never ignore)
According to Jeffery L. Anderson, MD, lead author of the study, the data did not indicate increase in risk of breast cancer with calcium channel blocker medications. The analysis was divided in two studies — one reviewing data obtained from medical records of general population and the other reviewing data obtained from patients treated in the Intermountain Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.

In their review of a general population medical records database, the risk of developing breast cancer was 1.6 times higher when calcium channel blockers were used, which was significant, but much smaller than what was reported by the Seattle group. But, in contrast, in the data collected from patients treated in the Intermountain Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, a reverse relationship was found, a 50 percent reduction in risk of developing breast cancer for women who took the calcium channel blockers. (Read: 10 tips to detect breast cancer early)
The contrasting results found in these two independent analyses led researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute to conclude that it is likely not the medication that caused the changes in breast cancer risk but other factors.