Blood Pressure Drugs Linked to Increased Cancer Risk

A common class of blood pressure drugs may increase the risk of getting cancer, a new study has found. Various angiotensin-receptor blockers, but especially the drug Micardis, are associated with a 1.2% increased risk in cancer diagnosis 4 years after taking the drug. It's not clear if the increased risk of cancer was particular to the drugs in the study or an effect shared by all angiotensin-receptor blockers, Reuters reports.

One Cleveland cardiologist described the results as "disturbing and provocative, raising crucial drug safety questions for practitioners and the regulatory community." Micardis manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim said that its "internal safety data analysis of primary data contradicts the conclusions" of the study that Micardis is linked to increased cancer risk.
(More blood pressure stories.)