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Known diuretic may cause skin cancer
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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The most common diuretic in the world, hydrochlorothiazide (aka hypothiazide), increases the chances of getting skin cancer seven times. This is what scientists claim after conducting a series of experiments.
Dr. Anton Pottegaard, from the University of Southern Denmark (Odense), explained that hydrochlorothiazide can lead to non-melanoma skin cancer, which includes basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic that is most popular among the population. This drug eliminates fluid accumulation in tissues and prevents high blood pressure. Dr. Pottegard had previously proven the involvement of hydrochlorothiazide in the development of lip cancer. At the same time, scientists found out that this drug increases the sensitivity of the skin to the effects of ultraviolet radiation.
This time, Dr. Pottegard decided to study this drug in more depth.
After analyzing a national database, scientists found a link between diuretic use and the development of non-melanoma skin cancer. The study involved 80,000 cancer patients and 1.5 million healthy participants. In addition to hydrochlorothiazide, other diuretics were also considered.
As a result, specialists calculated that those people who were treated with hydrochlorothiazide developed skin cancer 7 times more often than other patients. The diuretic has an equal effect on the development of both basalioma and squamous cell carcinoma.
Other diuretics did not have a similar effect.
"We already knew that the drug we were studying removes the skin's protection against ultraviolet radiation. At this stage, we can say with confidence that long-term use of hydrochlorothiazide can cause cancer," the authors summarize.
"We have monitored and treated a huge number of patients with different types of cancer: all of these patients had only one risk factor - taking hydrochlorothiazide," explains Armand Cognetta, head of the dermatology department at the University of Florida. According to the American dermatologist, the combination of high ultraviolet activity and taking a diuretic can become a deadly complex factor.
“The work of scientists will make colossal adjustments to the issues of cancer prevention at the global level,” assures Professor Cognetta.
Since hydrochlorothiazide is widely used in most developed countries, side effects from treatment can affect a huge number of people. There is no talk of withdrawing the drug from sale yet, but it is important to know about the possible consequences and prevent their development. Doctors warn: if a person has been taking hydrochlorothiazide for a long time, then you should not cancel it on your own - this should be done by the doctor who prescribed the treatment. Only he will be able to correctly replace this diuretic with another drug.
The scientists are not stopping there and plan to continue their research. They report all the details of their work in the Journal of the American Association of Dermatology.
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