Role of antihypertensive medicines in prostate cancer: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Hypertension is associated with the risk of prostate cancer (PCa) and its progression, however, it remains unclear whether antihypertensive medicines alter PCa risk or prognosis. This systematic review evaluated the role of calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors in the risk and prognosis of PCa. This review was performed in line with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. METHODS: Eligible studies comprised peer-reviewed observational studies which reported the role of CCBs and RAS inhibitors in PCa, had accessible full texts, and were written in English. Using a combination of keywords, 5 electronic bibliographic databases which included Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Google Scholar and Scopus were searched. RESULTS: A total of 1,346 studies were retrieved and 18 met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen studies reported reduced or no associated risk, improved prognosis, and survival with the use of RAS inhibitors. Studies on CCBs showed evidence of associated risk of PCa. Data extraction from retrieved studies focused on included study characteristics, setting, authors, year, outcomes of interest, and risk ratios. The quality assessment of included studies by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute study assessment tools, showed that all studies had good quality. CONCLUSIONS: The use of RAS inhibitors was mostly associated with lower risks or improved prognosis of PCa. CCBs may also be associated with risks of PCa. This suggests that high-risk patients managed with CCBs should be actively monitored for PCa. However, there is need for further evidence from large-scale prospective, controlled cohort studies to determine any influence of CCBs on PCa.

Risk Perception and Acceptability of the COVID-19 Vaccine in Nigeria.

Objectives: Vaccines are anticipated to control the ongoing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however, their acceptance is critical for the desired benefit. This study assessed risk perceptions of COVID-19, acceptability of its vaccine and socio-demographic associations of its acceptability in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional web-based study was conducted among 420 participants in Nigeria's six geopolitical regions, using a three-part questionnaire. The questionnaire link was distributed via snowball method to consenting participants through online platforms. Study outcome measures were acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine, and risk perception of COVID-19 by study participants. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS version 24. p values ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 410 respondents participated in the study and high-risk perception of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 infection (COVID-19) was seen in 127 (66.1%) respondents. Vaccine acceptance was high in 233 (56.8%) respondents and was significantly associated with geo-political region (p=0.028). A moderate positive relationship (r: 0.3) was found between risk perception and acceptability of COVID-19 vaccine and the correlation was statistically significant (p=0.000). Conclusion: High-risk perception of COVID-19 was found in over half of the respondents, and COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate was a little more than 50%. However, the study noted regional association with vaccine acceptance among study participants. Therefore, strategic and targeted messaging on vaccine acceptance should be prioritized by stakeholders, to ensure successful vaccine implementation.