Association between antihypertensive medication use and kidney cancer risk: meta-analysis accounting for hypertension

Evidence that antihypertensive medication (AHTN) use is associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer (KC) is emerging. However, limited evidence is available on disentangling the effects of AHTN use on KC from hypertension, which is a risk factor for KC. Meta-analysis of 39 studies found that AHTN use was associated with an increased KC risk compared to no use even after accounting for hypertension, with the highest risk observed for calcium channel blocker (RR 1.40; 95% CI 1.12-1.75). Each additional year of AHTN use was associated with 2%-6% increased KC risk.