New onset of hypertension associated with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in cancer patients

AIM: To evaluate whether immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy is associated with a higher incidence of hypertension (HTN) among cancer patients compared to those not treated with ICIs. MATERIALS & METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilized data from the TriNetX Research Network, a global database of de-identified electronic health records. Adult patients (≥18 years) with lung, breast, colon, kidney, or skin cancer were categorized based on ICI treatment. Patients with preexisting hypertension were excluded. Propensity score matching (1:1) based on demographics and comorbidities yielded two balanced cohorts of 24,956 patients each. The primary outcome was the incidence of hypertension within one year of cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: < 0.001; HR = 1.071). CONCLUSIONS: ICI therapy is significantly associated with an increased risk of developing hypertension. These findings support the need for routine cardiovascular monitoring in patients receiving ICI treatment.