Long-term use of antihypertensive medications, hypertension and colorectal cancer risk and mortality: a prospective cohort study

Yin Zhang, Mingyang Song, Andrew T. Chan, Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, Walter C. Willett, Edward L. Giovannucci

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Hypertension and the use of antihypertensive medications have been intensively investigated in relation to colorectal cancer (CRC). Prior epidemiologic studies have not been able to examine this topic with adequate confounding control and follow-up time, or disentangle the effects of antihypertensive agents and hypertension. Methods: Eligible participants in the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study were followed for up to 28 years, with repeat assessments of exposures. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: In fully adjusted analyses based on both new-user and prevalent-user designs, there was no association between the use of beta-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, thiazide diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, furosemide, other antihypertensive drugs and CRC risk and mortality reached the statistically significant threshold after Bonferroni correction. The results remained similar in sensitivity analyses among participants with hypertension. Before Bonferroni correction, suggestive associations between beta-blocker use and CRC risk and between furosemide use and CRC-specific mortality were observed specifically in analyses using a new-user design. Hypertension was not associated with CRC risk in analyses based on both new-user and prevalent-user designs. Conclusions: Hypertension and long-term use of major classes of antihypertensive medications are unlikely to be associated with CRC risk and mortality.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1974-1982
Number of pages9
JournalBritish Journal of Cancer
Volume127
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - 23 Nov 2022
Externally publishedYes

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Long-term use of antihypertensive medications, hypertension and colorectal cancer risk and mortality: a prospective cohort study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this