Last fall, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Int. Med. Aug. 5, 2013), showed a significant increase in the risk of developing breast cancer (perhaps double) when medications, known as calcium channel blockers (commonly used to treat high blood pressure), were taken over a long period of time. The increased risk appeared to be for two types of breast cancer – invasive lobular and invasive ductal cell types.
While the findings in this study need to be confirmed by other studies, it may be prudent not to use calcium channel blocker medication to treat high blood pressure – if other medications can achieve adequate control.