A class of blood pressure medications—short-acting calcium channel blockers (CCBs)—was associated with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer in postmenopausal women, according to a study presented April 17 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
Specifically, among 145,551 postmenopausal women from the Women’s Health Initiative national study, those who had ever used short-acting CCBs were at a 66 percent higher risk of incident pancreatic cancer. In addition, those who had used short-acting CCBs for at least three years were shown to have a 107 percent higher risk of pancreatic cancer when compared to those who used other antihypertensive medications.
Lead study author Zhensheng Wang, PhD, pointed out pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S., with more than 44,000 deaths projected to occur in 2018.
“Pancreatic cancer typically occurs in elderly individuals who also have chronic comorbid medical conditions, such as hypertension,” said Wang, a postdoctoral associate at the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine. “Antihypertensive medication use has increased significantly; therefore, it is of great public health significance to address the potential association between antihypertensive medication use and risk of pancreatic cancer in the general population.”
Wang said in a press release coinciding with the AACR presentation that he was surprised by the study’s findings. The authors suggested CCBs may hinder the body’s anti-inflammatory response through a receptor called soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-product (sRAGE).
“sRAGE is thought to mitigate the inflammatory response by blocking pro-inflammatory RAGE signaling,” senior study author Li Jiao, MD, PhD, also with Baylor College of Medicine, said in the release. “The blockage of the calcium channel caused by use of CCBs may potentially reduce sRAGE release and thus further decrease the levels of anti-inflammatory sRAGE. This is important as chronic inflammation is a well-recognized risk factor for pancreatic as well as many other cancers.”
The researchers noted additional research is necessary to confirm their findings and understand the reason for the link between CCBs and pancreatic cancer risk. They also cautioned their results may not be generalizable to men, premenopausal women or populations outside the U.S.
Daniel joined TriMed’s Chicago editorial team in 2017 as a Cardiovascular Business writer. He previously worked as a writer for daily newspapers in North Dakota and Indiana.