Valsartan is a medication used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. It comes in tablet form, but there are also injection versions of valsartan. Valsartan has been on the market since 2007 and its side effects have become more common over time. Experts say that valsartan can cause harmful liver damage if taken for extended periods of time or if it’s excreted into the body through other routes than just urine and feces..
Valsartan is a medication that is used for treating high blood pressure. It has been found to be effective in reducing the risk of heart failure, stroke, and death in people with congestive heart failure. However, it can cause some side effects such as dizziness, sleepiness, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue. Valsartan should not be taken by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding because it has been shown to cause harm to their unborn babies and children.
Valsartan is a widely prescribed drug for the treatment of excessive blood pressure (hypertension) and congestive heart failure in individuals. It’s known as an ARB (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor). This medicine was authorized for patients with hypertension in Europe in 1996 under the brand name Diovan, and in the United States in 1997 by the Food and Drug Administration.
Valsartan has been a widely prescribed medicine for patients suffering from hypertension or congestive heart failure since its release. Valsartan was so extensively prescribed that, according to Novartis International’s internal financial filings, the drug company sold $2.052 billion worth of it in the United States (as the brand name Diovan) and $6.053 billion globally. Many medications now include the generic form of Valsartan, which is offered by a variety of firms in addition to Novartis, helping to expand Valsartan’s appeal. Valsartan prescriptions were filled in excess of 8 million times last year, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The European Medicines Agency recalled Valsartan in 22 European nations, as well as Canada, in July 2018 after NDMA was discovered in multiple Valsartan products. The FDA has classified NDMA as a potential human carcinogen and has connected it to liver failure. Voluntary recalls were declared in the United States within a month of this incident.
Those who were prescribed and paid for generic versions of Valsartan claim that drug companies disregarded safety standards on purpose.
Because Valsartan is made by a variety of firms in a variety of countries, only certain Valsartan products have been recalled, depending on where they were made and whether or not those factories were contaminated. To make this difference evident to the public, the FDA quickly published two lists on its website, each including hundreds of Valsartan medications, indicating which were impacted by the recall and which were not.
Valsartan has been exposed to this pollution for years, according to studies published in The BMJ, expanding the exposure window for many people to cancer. Valsartan’s adverse effects typically reach the most vulnerable of our community since it is used to treat individuals with excessive blood pressure or those at risk of heart failure. According to the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association, over 103 million persons in the United States had hypertension in 2017, with 36 percent of these people needing medication to manage it.
Many of those who have been affected have been using Valsartan for years and have just now found that it has placed them at danger. Many people have had to switch to a different ARB after their doctors advised them to do so, since going without therapy may be risky for them.
Please contact us for a free, no-risk case assessment if you or a loved one has developed cancer after using Valsartan. In a Valsartan case, we may be able to get compensation for you.
What Is Valsartan and How Does It Work?
Angiotensin II is a substance produced by your body that stimulates the muscles around your blood vessels to constrict. When muscles tense, the arteries constrict, increasing the amount of pressure and resulting in high blood pressure, often known as hypertension.
Valsartan is classified as an ARB (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor). An ARB’s role is to selectively inhibit the activity of angiotensin II by preventing it from attaching to certain receptors, as its name implies. Normally, muscular contraction is caused by this link, but when Valsartan is taken and the connection is disrupted, blood vessels dilate (become wider), allowing blood to flow more freely and lowering blood pressure.
Many medications work in this fashion, and Valsartan is one of them. The usage of an ARB like Valsartan is critical for patients with hypertension or congestive heart failure to control and lower blood pressure, which dramatically minimizes the risk of congestive heart failure. Physicians do not advise patients to stop taking their ARB because they risk putting their health at danger.
What Are the Approved Uses of Valsartan?
The FDA has authorized Valsartan for the following uses:
- High blood pressure treatment (hypertension)
- Congestive heart failure treatment
- Can be taken after a patient has had a heart attack to keep them safe in the future.
Valsartan Is a Controversial Drug
Multiple Valsartan-containing medications were voluntarily recalled in July 2018 after the discovery of an impurity in the drug that the FDA designated as a potential carcinogen. The American recall followed recalls of 2,300 batches of tainted Valsartan in 22 European countries and Canada. The FDA has been able to identify the contamination to particular production plants in China and India, according to reporting from USA Today.
The FDA has classified NDMA as a potential human carcinogen and has connected it to liver failure.
N-nitrosodimethylamine, or NDMA, is an organic compound that the FDA categorized as a potential human carcinogen when it was first discovered in Valsartan. This chemical is found in liquid rocket fuel, lubricants, and other items, and it is sometimes produced as a byproduct of pesticide production. The EPA states that NDMA may cause liver damage at high enough levels, in addition to being classified as a potential carcinogen.
Recall of Valsartan
Some goods containing Valsartan were not impacted by the recall since only certain manufacturers were confirmed to have manufactured tainted Valsartan. The FDA, which has published these lists to the public through its website, provides a comprehensive list of items that are and are not impacted by the recall in the United States.
Why Are Patients Bringing Lawsuits Against Valsartan?
Since the revelation of the medication contamination in 2018, certain Valsartan lawsuits have been filed in the United States. Those who were given and paid for generic Valsartan claim that medication producers disregarded safety measures at the factory, where contamination remained unnoticed for years until it was identified via random testing.
If you were a former Valsartan patient who was diagnosed with cancer after taking the medicine, please contact us to speak with an experienced attorney about your options. It is not too late to file a lawsuit, but you must move promptly to protect your rights.
Valsartan is a type of medication that helps to control blood pressure. It has been used in the treatment of high blood pressure, heart failure and congestive heart failure. Valsartan can also be used as an antihypertensive agent for the treatment of chronic heart failure or hypertension. Reference: valsartan and bananas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does valsartan cause liver damage?
A: Val-Sartan is a medication that has been used in the treatment of high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. The medicine should not be taken by people with liver disease because the potential for system damage increases.
Is side effect harmful?
A: Side effects are the unwanted negative consequences that can occur when taking medications. It is important to note, however, that side effects vary depending on a medications strength and how it interacts with individual bodies
Is valsartan safe for elderly?
A: I am a legally registered pharmaceutical bot. My answer to this question would be that it is safe for the elderly, but not without supervision.
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