Should I be worried about this study?

[manlymatt83]

http://www.aboutlawsuits.com/arb-cancer-review-11507/

I've been taking Avapro since I was 19 (I'm 26 now). I was on the highest dose (300 mg), but lost weight and am on 150 mg, and will hopefully soon be on the smallest dose (75 mg).

They say there's only a 1% increase in risk. Since I'm young, knock on wood, but that still doesn't seem like a very big increased risk.

Thoughts? I tend to over analyze things like this, so it's good to get sound judgement

 

[Ika]

so you're still the resident hypochondriac, eh?

 

[manlymatt83]

so you're still the resident hypochondriac, eh?

No. I'm just curious to know.

I'm sure you'd react the same way if you saw something like this on the news for a medicine you were on.

 

[ichy]

You're 26 and have been on a hypertension drug since 19? Lose some weight and exercise more rather than worrying about cancer.

 

[manlymatt83]

You're 26 and have been on a hypertension drug since 19? Lose some weight and exercise more rather than worrying about cancer.

I've worked out almost every day since I was 19 with a few blips here and there. I have lost significant weight. I was put on 3 blood pressure drugs when I was 19, and now I'm down to 1 drug at half the dose I was originally on.

So I don't need a lecture, thanks.

 

[TheVrolok]

You're 26 and have been on a hypertension drug since 19? Lose some weight and exercise more rather than worrying about cancer.

Fail.

 

[ichy]

I'm not trying to lecture you, I'm trying to put the risks in perspective. If you need any blood pressure meds at your current age then that's a far, far bigger issue than a 1% increase in your risk of getting cancer.

 

[TheVrolok]

I'm not trying to lecture you, I'm trying to put the risks in perspective. If you need any blood pressure meds at your current age then that's a far, far bigger issue than a 1% increase in your risk of getting cancer.

You do realize that essential hypertension amounts for 95% of the hypertensive population? I'm not saying this is the case for the OP, but jumping on someone because they've been on meds from a young age is foolish. Meds may be the only thing he could do at that point.

 

[manlymatt83]

I'm not trying to lecture you, I'm trying to put the risks in perspective. If you need any blood pressure meds at your current age then that's a far, far bigger issue than a 1% increase in your risk of getting cancer.

When I was first diagnosed with hypertension, I tried to lose weight and reduce stress/anxiety, but it wasn't coming off fast enough. I hate medicine, trust me. But my doctor told me my heart had already been affected (based on EKG's and Heart Scans), so I didn't want to fuck around.

Since then, I've lost weight, eat much healthier, work out almost every day, and have cut my BP medicine by 75% (if you look at dosage). I'd say another year or two and I'll be off this last drug.

If that's not doing things correctly, I guess I fail.

 

[DrPizza]

Good to know, I suppose. I was on Avapro for about a year. I had to switch to that because a different one was causing my legs to swell up. It was yet another incredibly stressful year after several before it. Finished my graduate thesis, got all my ducks in a row, and weaned myself from it. Haven't been back to the doctor since, and my blood pressure has been below the threshold where I would need medication, verifying my suspicion - that it was all stress related, rather than my doctor's suspicion - "too much American salty food!" (I don't add salt to food when cooking with the exception of steak. I don't even add salt to french fries I cook at home. I smother them with hot sauce instead (which probably has salt in it though, but less salt than most people put on fries.)

 

[ichy]

Since then, I've lost weight, eat much healthier, work out almost every day, and have cut my BP medicine by 75% (if you look at dosage). I'd say another year or two and I'll be off this last drug.

If that's not doing things correctly, I guess I fail.

It sounds like you are doing things correctly. My point was that the best thing to do at this point is to stick to losing weight and lowering your BP. In the overall "big picture" of your health that small increased cancer risk from a drug that you'll hopefully soon no longer need to be on is insignificant.