Blood pressure drugs known as angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) increase the risk of cancer, new research has found. The drugs increased the risk of cancer by 11 per cent overall, but by as much as 25 per cent for lung cancer. ARBs achieve annual worldwide sales of $25bn, and doctors write out around 82 million prescriptions for an ARB drug, such as Diovan, Cozaar, Hyzaar, Atacand and Avapro. The drugs are also taken for heart failure, kidney disease in diabetics, and to reduce cardio-vascular risk. The drug’s manufacturers are worried that sales may be hit by the research, which has been carried out by the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The study is the first to associate ARBs with cancer. (Source: Lancet Oncology, 2010; doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(10)70106-6).
