Is the antihypertensive drug in trouble again? Pfizer’s official website shows that on March 21, they officially recalled a blood pressure drug Accuretic (Chinese name: Quinapril Hydrochloride/Hydrochlorothiazide) in Nationwide Tablets) and two generic drugs licensed to other companies because of higher levels of potentially carcinogenic impurity nitrosamines.
(Pfizer’s official website)
Anti-hypertensive drugs were exposed to excessive carcinogenic impurities, which happened repeatedly. As early as the beginning of this month, the Pfizer branch in Canada Accuretic was also recalled due to higher levels of the potentially carcinogenic impurity nitrosamines.
In 2021, Aprovel (generic name: irbesartan tablets), CoAprovel (generic name: irbesartan hydrochlorothiazide tablets), Rovelito, will be recalled due to excessive “azide” impurities;
In 2018, some valsartans at home and abroad were recalled due to excessive N-nitrosodimethylamine impurities.
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In response to the recall, Pfizer said that patients with high blood pressure are not at immediate risk, but patients currently taking the drug should Consult your doctor for alternative treatment options. This news must have made many hypertensive patients unable to sit still. At present, there is no relevant news in China. Do you still need antihypertensive drugs?
First, antihypertensive drugs were revealed to contain carcinogenic impurities, how harmful is it? Nitrosamine impurities include N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), etc., which are classified by WHO as carcinogenic Long-term excessive intake has a certain carcinogenic risk.
In fact, nitrosamine impurities are not artificially added, but are inevitable impurities in the specific synthesis process of a specific drug, and are related to the drug synthesis process. No matter at home or abroad, limited samples of nitrosamines in drugs have been checked, as long as the limit is not exceeded, it is a safe drug.
State Drug Administration (CDE) pointed out that calculated based on body weight of 50KG, daily intake of When the amount of nitrosamine impurities was about 96ng, the risk of tumor occurrence was about one in 100,000. Even 70 years of continuous use will not increase the risk of cancer if the daily intake does not exceed this amount.
For some hypertensive patients who are taking medication, they are most afraid of hearing the news that there is a problem with the medicine. Can the medicine in hand still be eaten? I can’t lower my blood pressure if I don’t eat it, and I’m afraid of the risk if I eat it. What should I do? 2. Do hypertensive patients who are taking medication still need to take medication? Patients with high blood pressure should never discontinue treatment without medical advice! The role of antihypertensive drugs is not only to lower blood pressure, but also to protect organs. Once the hypertensive patients stop taking the drug, the blood pressure is likely to rise rapidly. Intermittent taking the drug may lead to large fluctuations in blood pressure, which may lead to stroke and myocardial infarction.
Jin Rui, deputy chief pharmacist of the Pharmacy Department of Beijing Shijitan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, has given earlier how to deal with carcinogens detected by antihypertensive drugs. For some batches of medicines that exceed the limit, pharmaceutical companies and the Food and Drug Administration will voluntarily recall the relevant medicines. Medicines that are not in the recall list can be taken with confidence. Going back ten thousand steps, even if the drugs you are taking do not meet the standard, it is not recommended to stop the drug without authorization, but to change the drug under the guidance of a professional doctor.
An antihypertensive drug contains potential carcinogens, which does not mean that the antihypertensive drug itself is carcinogenic, but some people still worry that taking antihypertensive drugs for a long time will cause cancer. Afraid, medical research has long told everyone that it is safe to produce qualified antihypertensive drugs!
Third, will taking various antihypertensive drugs for a long time cause cancer?
A study was published in the journal The Lancet-Oncology in April 2021. The researchers selected from the international authoritative medical database. The relevant randomized controlled studies collected from 1966 to September 1, 2019 were finally selected for the inclusion criteria of 33 studies.
These studies included more than 260,000 subjects, 15,000 of whom had cancer. After data analysis, compared with other control drugs, taking various antihypertensive drugs, including Prism, sartans, dipines, and thiazides, will not cause additional cancer risk.
As far as current medical technology is concerned, most hypertension cannot be “cured radically”, and many patients can only achieve “clinical cure” through medication and lifestyle changes to control blood pressure. within the stable range. Don’t believe the rumors that taking antihypertensive drugs for a long time will cause cancer without authorization. Doing so is extremely detrimental to the control of the disease.
Although taking antihypertensive drugs does not cause cancer, there are some things that need to be paid attention to when taking antihypertensive drugs. What are the specifics? 4. What should I pay attention to when taking antihypertensive drugs? 1. Don’t take medicine indiscriminately, but also understand the medicine you take.
Before taking medicine, you need to be guided by a professional doctor. The medicines suitable for each person are different. Don’t take other people’s medicines. At the same time, you should pay attention to what medicine you are taking and how much you need to take. It is best to make a medication table.
2. Don’t rush to lower blood pressure
At the beginning of blood pressure reduction, it is generally based on “stable”, and it will not reduce blood pressure all at once to a reduced level. It usually takes about two weeks to gradually stabilize, so don’t worry.
3. Monitor blood pressure on time
Patients also need to monitor their blood pressure regularly in life. Doing so is conducive to observing the efficacy of medication and the fluctuation of blood pressure, and has important reference significance for subsequent treatment.
4. Understand the adverse drug reactions and seek medical attention in time if the symptoms are severe
It is recommended that everyone understand the possible side effects of the drugs they are taking, which may appear in the body Some abnormal manifestations can be found in time. When the symptoms are serious, you should consult a doctor in time.
5. Antihypertensive drugs will not be resistant to resistance
Long-term use of antihypertensive drugs will not cause the body to develop drug resistance. Not ideal, must seek medical attention in time to find out the cause.
Problems with medicines do happen from time to time, and we need to have the right mindset. Some “problem drugs” will be recalled by the state and pharmaceutical companies on their own. Ordinary people must not stop the drugs without authorization, which will easily bring unnecessary risks to health.
References:
[1] “Pfizer Voluntary Nationwide Recall of Lots of ACCURETIC™ (quinapril HCl/hydrochlorothiazide), quinapril and hydrochlorothiazide Tablets, and quinapril HCl/hydrochlorothiazide Tablets Due to N-Nitroso- Quinapril Content”.Pfizer.2022.03.31
[2] “Sun Ningling: Unauthorized withdrawal of medication in hypertensive patients can induce stroke and myocardial infarction”. Xinhuanet.2017.5.8
[3] “Experts Recalled Antihypertensive Drugs Containing Carcinogens: Don’t Panic, Don’t Stop the Drugs Without Arbitrary”. Xinhuanet.2019.1.24
[4] “Whether the Antihypertensive Drugs Contain Carcinogens in Patients? Should the drug be discontinued? “. People’s Daily Online. 2019.8.1