Hydrochlorothiazide and Skin Cancer: What the Blood Pressure Pill's Label Now Says

Hydrochlorothiazide is one of the most widely used blood pressure and water pills in the U.S., alone or combined with other medicines.¹² It also makes skin more sensitive to sunlight.¹² That combination led researchers to look at skin cancer, and the label now reflects what they found.

What the label says

• Hydrochlorothiazide is associated with a higher risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer, mainly squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and mostly in white patients taking large total doses over time.¹
• Overall, about 1 extra SCC case per 16,000 people per year.¹
• For white patients with a high lifetime dose (50,000 mg or more in total, roughly 25 mg a day for five and a half years), about 1 extra SCC case per 6,700 people per year.¹
• People taking it should protect their skin from the sun and get regular skin cancer screening.¹

What the studies found

Denmark (2018). Comparing people with skin cancer to matched controls, high hydrochlorothiazide use was linked to modestly higher odds of basal cell carcinoma and about four times the odds of SCC, rising with dose.² Other blood pressure medicines and diuretics showed no link.² The study had no data on sun exposure.²

Taiwan (2019). In an Asian population, researchers found no overall link between hydrochlorothiazide and skin cancer.³ Earlier studies had mostly involved white populations.³

What this means for you

• Don’t stop on your own. Blood pressure control matters, and the added skin cancer risk is small in absolute terms.¹
• Ask whether it’s still the best choice if you have fair skin, a history of skin cancer, or lots of sun exposure. In the Danish study, other blood pressure medicines weren’t linked to skin cancer.²
• Use sun protection daily. Our guides to choosing sunscreen and what SPF means can help.
• Get your skin checked. Our article on full-body skin checks after 50 explains what to expect, and Mohs surgery covers treatment if something is found.

Try: “I’ve taken hydrochlorothiazide for eight years and I’ve had a basal cell skin cancer. Should I stay on it, or is another blood pressure medicine a better fit?”

Skin, Head to Toe includes a short-shelf planner and a 12-week SkinLog. Use them to photograph spots monthly and bring your medicine list to skin checks. See the book.