Impact of hypertension and angiotensin receptor blockers on colorectal cancer: A retrospective study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Hypertension (HTN) is the primary cause of death worldwide and a significant risk factor for malignancies, leading to the new concept of "Onco-Hypertension." Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) are among the first-line drugs for the treatment of HTN, and in recent years, concerns have been raised about their potential carcinogenic substances. This research intended to determine the association of HTN and ARBs with the chance of developing a clinicopathological profile of CRC. This multicenter retrospective observational study comprised 800 controls without CRC and 650 patients with CRC from 2019 to 2023. Key demographic and clinicopathological data were collected. Using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models, adjusted and unadjusted odds ratios (OR) were computed to examine the impact of HTN and ARBs on the clinicopathological features and chance of developing colorectal cancer. HTN and the chance of developing CRC were initially shown to be positively significant (OR = 1.28, confidence interval = 1.02, 1.61). After adjusting for confounding variables, the OR was no longer statistically significant. An elevated chance of developing CRC was in patients with HTN who used ARB (OR = 2.65, confidence interval = 1.47, 4.79). Among the clinicopathological features of the tumor, stage (P value < .001) and metastasis (P value = .002) have a significant association with HTN. The findings of this study did not reveal a significant association between HTN and the chance of developing CRC. However, a positive association was observed between HTN and metastasis and stage. Results identify a possible signal of an increased chance of developing CRC linked to ARBs. However, further observational and analytical studies are necessary to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and confirm these findings.