The longer you take it, the more danger you are in.
A cause of skin cancer may be in your medicine cabinet: A new study published in the Journal of American Dermatology suggests that people taking a common blood pressure medication may be at higher risk of developing the disease.
Researchers analyzed using a specific medication for high blood pressure called hydrochlorothiazide in more than 80 thousand people with skin cancer non – melanoma both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma and compared with data from 1.5 million people without skin cancer. They found that high use of hydrochlorothiazide (the equivalent of taking it continuously for about six years or more) was linked to four-fold increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma and a 29 percent increased risk of basal cell carcinoma.
And the risk of skin cancer increased the longer they were exposed to the drug and the higher the dose, the researchers found. And the link was even stronger in people under 50, who tend to have lower chances of developing skin cancer is not melanoma.
Both basal cell carcinoma and tend to develop in areas exposed to the sun, such as the face, ears and neck. They are much more common than the deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma, which accounts for only one percent of all skin cancer, but it is also much less likely to spread.
So why this relationship? The researchers believe that one of the side effects of hydrochlorothiazide is photosensitivity or increased sensitivity to solar radiation.
“This could lead to sensitivity after sun exposure or real sunburn,” explains Dr. Anton Pottegård, author of the study. “Such damage to the skin is a major cause of skin cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma.”
More research is needed before experts can suggest any changes to hydrochlorothiazide recipes, he says. But, in the meantime, men who are at increased risk for cancer – say, if they’ve already been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma while taking hydrochlorothiazide – can ask their doctor about other options for treating high blood pressure. The researchers found no link between skin cancer and other blood pressure medications, such as ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, or angiotensin II receptor antagonists.
So if you meet the requirements, you can ask your doctor about the possibility of using another medicine. But as with any medication, don’t stop your treatment without first talking to your doctor, says Pottegård.