Blood pressure, calcium channel blockers, and the risk of prostate cancer: a Mendelian randomization study

Cancer Causes Control. 2023 Aug;34(8):725-734. doi: 10.1007/s10552-023-01712-z. Epub 2023 May 13.

Abstract

Background: Observational studies have found some evidence of an association between elevated blood pressure and prostate cancer risk; however, the results are inconclusive. We tested whether systolic blood pressure (SBP) influences prostate cancer risk and evaluated the effect of calcium channel blockers (CCB) on the disease using Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.

Methods: We used 278 genetic variants associated with SBP and 16 genetic variants in CCB genes as instrumental variables. Effect estimates were obtained from the UK Biobank sample of 142,995 males and from PRACTICAL consortium (79,148 cases and 61,106 controls).

Results: For each 10 mm Hg increase in SBP the estimated effect was OR 0.96 (0.90-1.01) for overall prostate cancer; and OR 0.92 (0.85-0.99) for aggressive prostate cancer. The MR-estimated effect of a 10 mm Hg- SBP lowering through CCB genetic variants was OR 1.22 (1.06-1.42) for all prostate cancers and OR 1.49 (1.18-1.89) for aggressive prostate cancer.

Conclusion: The results of our study did not support a causal relationship between SBP and prostate cancer; however, we found weak evidence of a protective effect of high SBP on aggressive prostate cancer and we found that blocking calcium channel receptors may increase prostate cancer risk.

Keywords: Blood pressure; Calcium channel blockers; Mendelian randomization; Prostate cancer.

MeSH terms

  • Blood Pressure / genetics
  • Calcium Channel Blockers* / therapeutic use
  • Causality
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mendelian Randomization Analysis / methods
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / epidemiology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / genetics

Substances

  • Calcium Channel Blockers