Could common blood pressure meds help curb pancreatic cancer? (ARBs and ACE-I lower death risk 20% & 13%, respectively for those on cancer therapy)

Medical Xpress / BMC Cancer ^ | Feb. 24, 2022 | Scott W. Keith et al

[ConservativeMind]

Pancreatic cancer is notoriously difficult to treat and beat, but new research suggests that commonly prescribed high blood pressure drugs may boost survival in patients.

Known as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), those who took them saw slight bumps in survival.

Folks with pancreatic cancer who took an ARB had a 20% lower risk of dying during the study period, and those taking ACE inhibitors saw a 13% reduction in their risk of dying when compared to people with the cancer who were not taking these blood pressure medications.

"We don't see results that are a whole lot better with chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer," said study author Scott Keith, an associate professor of biostatistics at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. "These are inexpensive medications, have a low side-effect profile, are widely available, and very well could improve survival of people with pancreatic cancer."

The new study wasn't designed to say how, or even if, these drugs improve survival. "In vitro and in vivo studies have suggested that these drugs may improve the way chemotherapy works or change the way that tumors are constructed to slow their growth," Keith said.

More research is still needed to understand any potential mechanisms.

About 86% of the people with pancreatic cancer died within 6.4 months of their diagnosis. Folks taking blood pressure medications lived longer than those who weren't, the study found. The lower risk associated with ACE inhibitors diminished after three years, while the lower risk associated with ARBs remained.

What's more, the risk reduction seen in people taking ARBs was even greater if they also had surgery for their cancer, the study showed.

[ConservativeMind]

Could be a good reason to do a blood pressure medicine checkup.

[ConservativeMind]

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[allendale]

Interesting if true. Also much has been speculated about the effect that a daily aspirin has on decreasing the incidence of colon cancers and other adenocarcinoma including pancreatic cancer. There is much not known or fully understood about the role of aspirin in preventive medicine. However aspirin is no bargain if it causes a significant bleed.

[noiseman]

Well, if these drugs actually pan out as cheap, effective treatments for pancreatic cancer, the FDA and its media lackeys will dutifully label them “dangerous”, ban them, and get their tech allies to scrub any mention of them from the internet or social media.

After COVID and the “vaccines”, we all know how this game is played.

[ckilmer]

I went to the doctor on monday and found that my blood pressure was too high. I suspect the reason is that I was drinking too much coffee and taking creatine. Plus I was putting too much coconut milk and heavy whipping cream in my coffee. So I was gaining weight. ordered up some ramapril. I may not take as I’ve stopped taking creatine and stopped drinking coconut milk and heavy whipping cream with my coffee.

However, the secondary benefit of ramapril is that it reduces inflammation.

[ConservativeMind]

Be aware that taking some supplements together can cause blood pressure spiking.