Bummed about the ACE inhibitor study...

Options
JacquelineG
JacquelineG Member Posts: 282
edited June 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

Last night I read the article under BCO research about the study where people on ACE inhibitors had a 56% increased chance of recurrence of breast cancer vs people not taking the med or on beta blockers for high blood pressure. I have been on ACE inhibitors since diagnosis and have been so bummed to read this.... I don't even have high blood pressure, just borderline and high every once in a while, but I've been trying to be good about protecting my heart especially since I had the oophorectomy. I had read somewhere recently that beta blockers seemed to have a protective effect against recurrence, so I decided to switch over in January. But I just can't help thinking I've been on ACE inhibitors for the 2+ critical years right after diagnosis...

It's frustrating to think that you do whatever you can to prevent a recurrence (good diet, daily exercise, AI's, Zometa) and then you find out that something you've taken daily to take care of your heart could be doing damage....

Anyway, just sharing my frustration.... I'm sure i'll be OK in a few days and hopefully this is one study that will someday be refuted! Thanks for listening!

Jackie

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • kathleen1966
    kathleen1966 Member Posts: 793
    edited May 2011

    This does sound frustrating and infuriating!  I hope that you are able to put this worry in the back of your head and continue to do well as you have been doing!  Some things are out of our control.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • KerryMac
    KerryMac Member Posts: 3,529
    edited May 2011

    You know, Jackie, all we can do is make decisions based on the information we have available to us at the time. You made what seemed like a good decision, and now it appears that it wasn't maybe the right move. All you can do is move on.

    There was a recent study that suggested Calcium was not great for your heart, and I have to take it so my bones don't break from the Arimidex, which is also, hello, bad for my heart. Seems like sometimes you can't do anything without it impacting something else.

    i know these new findings will give you more reason to worry, but try not to dwell on it too much. You can't go back, only forward, and it sounds like you have switched to a better option now anyhow! 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • JacquelineG
    JacquelineG Member Posts: 282
    edited May 2011

    Thank you for your replies! Yes, you are both right. Some things really are out of our control and we make the best decisions we can at the time. And Kerry, I was hoping you would respond too, because you are always the sound of reason (and positivity :-).

     I already feel less freaked out today.

    thanks to you both,

    jackie

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Omaz
    Omaz Member Posts: 5,497
    edited May 2011
    Here is a link to the original journal ACE-inhibitor article - link

    With just a quick glance - there were only 137 women in the ACE-inhibitor group. That is not a large group and even though they adjusted for various covariates (BMI, stage, treatment) these results need to be replicated. I don't know if it is true or not.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • jeffrine
    jeffrine Member Posts: 24
    edited May 2011

    JacqulineG - tell me about it.  My medicine wasn't on the list in the report on this site, but when I went to the website for the medicine............there was the disclaimer.  Also, I was on Vitamin D during chemo because mine was so low, that study just came out recently and also there's been one where for HER2 positive, brain mets aren't so much affected by treatment.  Sometimes you feel you just can't when for losing.  So you know what, I've decided not to worry about it, what will happen is God's will and you can just roll with it!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • momand2kids
    momand2kids Member Posts: 1,508
    edited May 2011

    Jackie

    I saw this too--I have been on a low dose ace inhibitor due to fluctuations in my bp and complications from a very complicated pregnancy---- like you, I have been taking them over the past 2 1/2 years since dx.  This morning, I emailed the link to the study to my pcp and my onc and told them I wanted to talk about it.  I think the study was indeed small and not a reason to panic--but worth considering.  I also don't want to have stroke, and the ace inhibitors really prevent that as well.... but like you, I had a moment of "oh crap"... just when I felt I was out of the woods......

    My onc once told me that they do not change standard of care treatment on the basis of just one study--I think all the frenzy over zometa is a good example---- in the past two years we have seen that go from occasional, to "everyone must have it" back to occasional.....

    sounds like you are ahead of the curve on this one....  

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Omaz
    Omaz Member Posts: 5,497
    edited May 2011

    I have been on an ACEi for nearly 20 years.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • YATCOMW
    YATCOMW Member Posts: 664
    edited May 2011

    Darn......I wasn't on an ace inhibitor until I read the articles last year that said it could possibly prevent a reoccurence......My doctor was great and added it to my arsenal since my other blood pressure medicine doesn't really do the full trick....it seemed to be helping and I thought I was killing cancer cells to boot!

    Wish they'd just find the cure already....

    Jacqueline

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jelson
    Jelson Member Posts: 1,535
    edited May 2011

    I have been on an ACE inhibitor for 6 years. I took the article to my med oncologist who said he would not recommend switching based on a retrospective study such as this and he preempted me by saying  he wouldn't recommend taking aspirin at this point - (another study in the news) so when I saw my PCP I showed her the article and she said if I wanted to switch off of the ACE inhibitor, I could - however she would only switch me to some new beta-blocker, not the regular ones because beta blockers act by slowing the heart rate (ACE inhibitors expand your blood vessels) and since my heart rate was  58 on an EKG at my previous visit, she wouldn't want it to go any lower. The new medication would cost 10x more than my generic ace inhibitor and although fewer side effects - it still might, because of my already low heart rate, make me lethargic. I told her I would think about it after dragon boat season!!!

    so now I worry about my freakish low heart rate - and while no family history of breast cancer,  I have considerable family history of heart disease - on both sides. so I don't want my blood pressure to be uncontrolled. 

    If it is not one thing, it is something else. 

     Julie E

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Omaz
    Omaz Member Posts: 5,497
    edited May 2011
    Jelson - Are you an exerciser?  People who exercise tend to have lower heart rates.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Jelson
    Jelson Member Posts: 1,535
    edited May 2011

    Thanks Omaz- I do exercise but not all that much - and not every day. so though I would like to think that was the reason, I would be deluding myself!!

    Julie E

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • katsOK
    katsOK Member Posts: 142
    edited May 2011

    I am stressing out about the ACE inhibitor study also.  I had my GP change me to a Beta Blocker last week but I can not take a large dose since my heart rate is not very high and the BB will make it go down.  That is why I was on an ACE inhibitor instead!! My blood pressure is not going down into the desirable range so far so worried about the change.

     The article says causes a recurrence does that mean a recurrence in the breast or a new Breast Cancer or does that mean metastasis.  I thought you used the word recurrence for recurrence in breast and metastasis for other places in body.  Does anyone know if this is true?  Confused and not knowing what to do.  

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • rosemary-b
    rosemary-b Member Posts: 2,006
    edited May 2011

    I am aggravated, frustrated and stressed out by this study. I went on an ace inhibitor along with a beta blocker aldactone and lasix when I developed heart failure from Herceptin. I am down to the ace inhibitor and lasix even though beta blockers are best for heart failure because the beta blocker gave me uncontrollable asthma. I am still having more asthma problems than ever two years after I got off the beta blocker.

    So another heart medicine that I got on because of a life threateneing side effect of cancer treatment is now life threatening. Danged if you do , danged if you don't!

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories