Hypertension is associated with a high risk of cancer

To investigate the possible relationship between hypertension and cancer, a retrospective analysis was carried out using a database including 1225 cases, of which 552 were hypertensives and 673 normotensives. Seventy cases of cancers with different origins were found during a 17-year follow-up. Odds ratio (OR) for occurrence of cancer was calculated. It was shown that an age over 40 years, male sex, alcohol-taking, systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP/DBP) were the five risk factors for the occurrence of cancers, while occupation, smoking, body mass index, left ventricular hypertrophy, and antihypertensive medication had no effect on cancer incidence. Hypertensives were at a high risk of overall cancer incidence with OR 2.2 (P < 0.01). After stratification of age, OR for hypertensives aged 40-49 years old with SBP > or =140 mm Hg or DBP > or =90mm Hg was 3.18 and 2.98 (P < 0.01 respectively). The OR of cancer for non-alcohol taking male hypertensives with SBP < or =140 mm Hg or DBP > or =90 mm Hg were 3.6 (95%CI 1.37-9.68, P = 0.003) and 5.67 (95%CI 2.01-16.75, P < 0.001), 7.55 (95%CI 2.10-33.19, P < 0.001) and 7.80 (95%CI 2.14-33.79, P < 0.001) for non-alcohol taking female hypertensives with SBP > or =140 mm Hg or DBP > or =90 mm Hg. After adjustment of age, sex and alcohol taking, the OR of the cancer incidence was 3.45 (95%CI 1.30-9.01, P < 0.01) for male and 5.0 (95%CI 1.56-16.67, P < 0.01) for female hypertensives aged 40-49 years. Multiple logistic regression analysis shows that age over 40 years, male sex, alcohol-taking, and DBP were the four independent risk factors for cancers. It is concluded that hypertension is associated with a high risk of cancer.