Assessment of the Relationship between High Blood Pressure and the Risk of Prostate Cancer among Patients in South-West, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Prostate cancer is the sixth leading cause of death worldwide. Nonmodifiable and modifiable lifestyle risk factors have been implicated and associated to its development and progression. There is a need to assess and establish the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and the risk of prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: This was a multicenter, prospective cross-sectional study of 400 patients at four tertiary hospitals in South-West, Nigeria. Participants were recruited into four arms, namely freshly diagnosed prostate cancer, hypertensive, combined hypertensive with prostate cancer, and control. Anthropometric measurements, BP, and family history were extracted from the case files. Biochemical analyses of venous samples were performed. One-way analysis of variance followed by post hoc Duncan test was conducted to determine the difference in the mean BP levels among the four arms. Results: High-density lipoprotein cholesterol in hypertensive patients was significantly lower (P ≤ 0.035) when compared with the other arms. Plasma total cholesterol (P < 0.074), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.029), and the mean C-reactive protein (P < 0.017) were significantly high in the hypertensive with prostate cancer group when compared with the other arms. The mean plasma testosterone concentration (P < 0.041) and the plasma calcium levels (P < 0.055) were significantly higher in the control group compared with other arms. Conclusion: Virtually, the same parameters were altered in hypertensive, prostate, and hypertensive prostate cancer patients, showing an association between hypertension and prostate cancer, which can be concluded that hypertension may be a predisposing factor to the development of prostate cancer.