ACE inhibitors – some of the world’s most popular drugs for blood pressure – can cause breast cancer to recur, researchers have discovered this week.
The drugs “significantly increase” the risk of the cancer recurring – whereas the beta blockers, another drug for blood pressure, reduce the risk in women who have previously had the cancer.
Researchers from UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center made the discovery when they tracked a group of 1,779 women who had recovered from breast cancer. Of these, 292 suffered a recurrence of the cancer, and virtually all of the women were taking an ACE inhibitor.
This is a new discovery about ACE inhibitors, and doctors and patients should be aware of the possible effect, say the researchers.
(Source: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 2011; doi: 10.1007/210549-011-1505-3).
