More than half a million bottles of blood pressure medication have been urgently recalled over potentially cancer-causing chemicals.
New Jersey-based Teva Pharmaceuticals US and distributor Amerisource Health Services voluntarily recalled more than 580,000 bottles of various strengths of prazosin hydrochloride, mainly sold under the brand names Minipress and Prazin, a blood pressure drug taken by 500,000 Americans.
Prazosin blocks the body’s alpha-1 adrenergic receptors, which helps widen blood vessels and allow blood to pass more easily, lowering blood pressure.
The affected pills were pulled from shelves nationwide because they may be contaminated with nitrosamine impurities, toxic compounds that form during food processing and medication storage and processing.
The recall was initiated earlier this month after the medication tested positive for N-nitroso Prazosin impurity C, which has been shown to potentially cause cancer in animal studies due to DNA damage that increases the risk of liver, stomach and lung tumors forming.
However, evidence of cancer in humans is limited.
‘Nitrosamine impurities may increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them above acceptable levels and over long periods of time,’ according to the FDA.
Recalled products include 181,659 bottles of 1mg Prazosin Hydrochloride capsules, 291,512 bottles of 2mg capsules and 107,673 bottles of 5mg pills.
Health officials have issued an urgent recall over blood pressure medications that may contain cancer-causing chemicals (stock image)
Though the medications have been recalled, stopping them suddenly can increase the risk of rebound hypertension and heart attack (stock image)
FDA officials classified the recall as Class II, meaning the products ‘may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences’ but the ‘probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.’
No illnesses or injuries have been reported.
Teva Pharmaceuticals and Amerisource Health Services have not issued press releases for the recalls or provided recommendations for consumers.
However, suddenly stopping the use of alpha-1 blocker blood pressure medications can lead to serious complications, including rebound hypertension or sudden high blood pressure, chest pain and high heart rate, all of which can raise the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Experts recommend speaking with a doctor before stopping these medications and instead tapering off of them slowly.
The recall comes just days after Ascend Laboratories pulled 140,000 bottles of its statin atorvastatin calcium, a generic version of Lipitor, from shelves because its tablets may not dissolve correctly.
This could mean that someone taking the statins may receive too much or too little of the medication because it is not being released from the tablet correctly.
About half of US adults are diagnosed with high blood pressure, which forces the heart to work harder to pump blood to vital organs.
Left untreated, it raises the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Lifestyle habits such as smoking, eating high-fat and high-sodium foods and not exercising are thought to increase the risk of high blood pressure because they narrow blood vessels and increase fluid retention, placing extra strain on the heart.