Antihypertensive drug use and prostate cancer-specific mortality in Finnish men

PLoS One. 2020 Jun 29;15(6):e0234269. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234269. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate pre- and post-diagnostic use of antihypertensive drugs on prostate cancer (PCa)-specific survival and the initiation of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The cohort investigated 8,253 PCa patients with 837 PCa-specific deaths during the median follow-up of 7.6 years after diagnosis. Information on drug use, cancer incidence, clinical features of PCa, and causes of death was collected from Finnish registries. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated using Cox regression with antihypertensive drug use as a time-dependent variable. Separate analyses were performed on PCa survival related to pre- and post-diagnostic use of drugs and on the initiation of ADT. Antihypertensive drug use overall was associated with an increased risk of PCa-specific death (Pre-PCa: 1.21 (1.04-1.4), Post-PCa: 1.2 (1.02-1.41)). With respect to the separate drug groups, angiotensin II type 1 receptor (ATr) blockers, were associated with improved survival (Post-PCa: 0.81 (0.67-0.99)) and diuretics with an increased risk (Post-PCa: 1.25 (1.05-1.49)). The risk of ADT initiation was slightly higher among antihypertensive drug users as compared to non-users. In conclusion, this study supports anti-cancer effect of ATr blockers on PCa prognosis and this should be investigated further in controlled clinical trials.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antihypertensive Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Disease Progression
  • Finland / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / mortality*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Risk

Substances

  • Antihypertensive Agents

Grants and funding

This work was supported by Pirkanmaa Hospital District in the form of a grant awarded to TM (9T036), Cancer Foundation Finland in the form of a grant awarded to TM (25024194), and Finnish-Norwegian Medical Foundation in the form of a grant awarded to AS (201900067). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.