If you’re over 66 years old and have a higher risk for skin cancer, you might want to double-check your blood pressure medication according to researchers at the University of Toronto.
The researchers said that people over age 66 who have been taking any thiazide diuretic blood pressure medications for an extended time, and who also have underlying skin cancer risk factors (such as fair and easily burnable skin), have a markedly higher risk of developing skin cancer.
Dr. Adam Friedman, professor and chair of dermatology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a spokesman for the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) said that while this study didn’t bring any new insight, he does believe it can have a substantial impact outside his field. Friedman said he hopes these study results push non-dermatology doctors to have conversations around drug interactions with skin and think more about it since many drugs prescribed (such as antibiotics) react with the sun...