Antihypertensives linked to breast cancer

Women taking calcium-channel blockers (CCBs) for at least 10 years might be at increased risk of developing breast cancer, according to American researchers who enrolled 880 women, aged between 55 and 74 years, with invasive ductal breast cancer, 1027 with invasive lobular breast cancer and 856 controls. The investigation confirms previous studies linking CCBs to breast cancer.

The new trial found that women currently taking a CCB and who had used the drug for at least 10 years were more than twice as likely to develop ductal (odds ratio [OR] 2.4) or lobular breast cancer (OR 2.6) than controls. Short-acting CCBs further increased the risk of invasive ductal (OR 3.7) or lobular breast cancer (OR 3.6). No statistically significant associations emerged with the other antihypertensives studied (ACE inhibitors, diuretics, beta-blockers or angiotensin II antagonists).