Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition where a person experiences an increase in blood pressure above normal or chronic (in a long time).
According to a recent study, people with hypertension included in groups at higher risk of cancer.
This finding, according to lead researcher Dr Mieke Van Hemelrijck will be presented in the 2011 European Congress Multidiciplinary. This research involved 289,454 men and 288,345 women, and the analysis results show that people with hypertension – particularly men – 10-20 per cent higher risk of developing cancer.
Dr Van Hemelrijck and her team of Cancer Epidemiology Group at King’s College London, UK analyzed data related to the blood pressure, cancer incidence, and mortality risk in a prospective study that included seven groups of participants in Norway, Austria and Sweden.
Having observed for approximately 12 years, it is known that as many as 22,184 men and 14,744 women have been diagnosed with cancer. Even the 8724 men and 4525 women died from the disease. Overall, the risk of cancer increased by 29 percent in men.
The researchers also found, some of the complications of other diseases such as hypertension, oral cancer, colorectal, lung, bladder, kidney, melanoma and skin cancer increase in men.
Increased cancer risk was also seen in women with hypertension, although not very significant. Increasing cases in women with hypertension seen in cases of liver cancer, pancreatic, cervical, endometrial, and melanoma.
The researchers adjusted their results to take into account age, gender, body mass index, smoking, and errors due to inaccuracy in the measurement of blood pressure.
Van Hemelrijck said, as observational studies, this study can not show that hypertension is a major cause of the increased risk of cancer.
“We can not claim that there is a causal relationship between high blood pressure and cancer risk, nor can we say that the cause of cancer is a factor associated with high blood pressure,” he said.
“But with a healthy lifestyle, including physical activity and weight is quite normal, has been shown to alleviate some chronic diseases. Example, high blood pressure is a risk factor for heart disease. Research we now also indicate that hypertension may also be a factor risk for cancer, “he said.
peterjrock 