Popular Blood Pressure Meds Not Linked to Cancer, FDA Says
The drugs are known as angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) and include medicines such as telmisartan (Micardis), losartan (Cozaar), valsartan (Diovan) and candesartan (Atacand).
The determination comes from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which just concluded a safety review of the drugs.
"It is comforting to have this data to support what we clinically felt was true," said Dr. Joseph Diamond, director of nuclear cardiology at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, NY.
FDA undertook the review after a meta-analysis appearing in July 2010 in The Lancet found a "modestly increased risk" -- about 10 percent -- of cancer diagnoses among people taking ARBs, and a smaller increased risk of death from cancer.
Until that report, there had been very little concern about the safety of the drugs.
"It's a drug that's been out for a very long time so we have a lot of clinical experience with it," Diamond said.
In fact, he added, many physicians were skeptical when the Lancet findings were first announced. "That study really was not designed to look for cancer," he said.
Dr. Cheryl Laffer, an associate professor of internal medicine in the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, said that she and other physicians weren't worried when that study came out, but many patients were.
"The ARBs are probably the most widely used class of medications for patients with high blood pressure," said Diamond. "They're used in patients with general hypertension and particularly in patients who may have hypertension with diabetes or hypertension with kidney disease."
The drugs are given once a day and have some added benefit in protecting the kidneys from the ravages of high blood pressure and diabetes, he added.
"They're better tolerated than ACE inhibitors [another blood pressure medication], have the same effect and not the cost," said Laffer, who is also senior staff of medicine at Scott & White in Temple. "Their side effect profile is no bigger than placebo."
The FDA review looked at 31 trials involving a total of more than 155,000 patients who had been randomized to receive either ARBs or another hypertension treatment.
As far as Laffer is concerned, the FDA report is definitive. "I think they did their job. They looked at all analyses which had used ARBs as compared to anything and they found no overall increased risk. They looked at hundreds of thousands of people," she said.
Side Effect Of Micardis - News
The FDA review was initiated after a study on side effects of Benicar published last year in the medical journal Lancet Oncology found that the use of ARBs was linked to a 1% increase in the risk a number of forms of cancer, including lung,
"They're better tolerated than ACE inhibitors [another blood pressure medication], have the same effect and not the cost," said Laffer, who is also senior staff of medicine at Scott & White in Temple. "Their side effect profile is no bigger than
Online Micardis Daily >> Overnight Micardis | Micardis 80mg
If the diuretic (hydrochlorothiazide) in Micardis HCT causes hypokalemia (see "Special warnings about Micardis HCT"), your doctor may switch you to a once-daily dosage that contains a lower dose of the diuretic. Micardis does not cure high blood pressure, it merely keeps it under control. Doctors usually prescribe Micardis HCT in place of its individual components. Stop taking Micardis as soon as you know that you are pregnant. Micardis lasts longer and seems to get my pressure way down. Recently started having severe chest pain and was put on Micardis 80mg, after being admitted to hospital, suspected heart attack (pain was that bad), luckly , no heart attack this time and blood pressure dropped from 196 to 125 after a couple of weeks. Keep Micardis HCT out of the reach of children and away from pets. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Micardis HCT. However, if Micardis is working for you, without any side effects I would suggest that you keep taking Micardis. After a year of that I changed doctors and I was given Micardis HCT 80/12. Doctor said she should go on exforge once her micardis is finish consumed. Micardis prevents these effects and thus keeps blood pressure lower. Only your doctor can determine if it is safe for you to continue taking Micardis. Highly likely that Exforge will work better with Tenormin, than Micardis and Tenormin. Ask your health care provider if Micardis HCT may interact with other medicines that you take. Micardis Xanax pain changing medcine??? SOMA MUSCLE RELAXANTS Drug interactions with facial cleanser ingredients Nupercainal Pain-Relief Cream Tricor and Lipitor Benicar suicide on antid's Need help with detox V3600 Carisoprodol (generic of soma) refills found pill with 377 on one side. The hydrochlorothiazide component of Micardis HCT also has a tendency to raise cholesterol levels. You need to continue taking Micardis regularly, even if you feel well. I can't take the Micardis with HCT because I have had problems with my kidneys. As soon as you learn that you are pregnant, stop taking Micardis HCT and call your doctor. Avoid the sun, sunlamps, or tanning booths until you know how you react to Micardis HCT. Micardis (telmisartan) drug InteractionsThere are 437 drug interactions with Micardis (telmisartan)Micardis (telmisartan) food/lifestyle InteractionsThere are 2 food/lifestyle interactions with Micardis (telmisartan)See also.
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