Road to Health ? High Blood Pressure Drug Risk

A new report is out now indicating that a specific class of pharmaceuticals have a high risk of users developing cancer

Cancer link to common heart drugs - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10295126.stm

You might be healthier if you begin to educate yourself about more natural ways to resolve high blood pressure - from our Road to Health Care Naturally series

Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are medications that block the action of angiotensin II by preventing angiotensin II from binding to angiotensin II receptors on the muscles surrounding blood vessels. As a result, blood vessels enlarge (dilate), and blood pressure is reduced.

Examples of ARB drugs include:

• losartan potassium (Cozaar), 2-butyl-4-chloro-1-[p-(o-1H-tetrazol-5­ylphenyl)benzyl]imidazole-5-methanol monopotassium salt. Death is higher in users than placebo for this drug, and it can cause sudden cardiac death. At one point FDA was going to remove it from the market but did not follow though with the action.
• irbesartan (Avapro), 2-butyl-3-[p-(o-1H-tetrazol-5-ylphenyl)benzyl]-1,3-diazaspiro[4.4]non-1-en-4-one. The manufacturer states that there is "No evidence of carcinogenicity was observed when irbesartan was administered at doses of up to 500/1000 mg/kg/day (males/females, respectively) in rats and 1000 mg/kg/day in mice for up to 2 years. For male and female rats, 500 mg/kg/day provided an average systemic exposure to irbesartan (AUC0-24 hour, bound plus unbound) about 3 and 11 times, respectively, the average systemic exposure in humans receiving the maximum recommended dose (MRD) of 300 mg irbesartan/day, whereas 1000 mg/kg/day (administered to females only) provided an average systemic exposure about 21 times that reported for humans at the MRD. For male and female mice, 1000 mg/kg/day provided an exposure to irbesartan about 3 and 5 times, respectively, the human exposure at 300 mg/day."
• valsartan (Diovan), N-(1-oxopentyl)-N-[[2 '-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl) [1,1 '-biphenyl]-4-yl]methyl]-L-valine. In studies completed by the manufacturer they state "There was no evidence of carcinogenicity when valsartan was administered in the diet to mice and rats for up to 2 years at doses up to 160 and 200 mg/kg/day, respectively."
• candesartan (Atacand), (±)-1-Hydroxyethyl 2-ethoxy-1-[p-(o-1H­tetrazol-5-ylphenyl)benzyl]-7-benzimidazolecarboxylate, cyclohexyl carbonate (ester)."There was no evidence of carcinogenicity when candesartan cilexetil was orally administered to mice and rats for up to 104 weeks at doses up to 100 and 1000 mg/kg/day, respectively."
• olmesartan (Benicar), 2,3-dihydroxy-2-butenyl 4-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)-2-propyl-1-[p-(o-1H-tetrazol-5-ylphenyl)benzyl]imidazole-5-carboxylate, cyclic 2,3-carbonate. The manufacturer denies any carcinogenicity in tests up to 2 years of length.
• telmisartan (Micardis),4'-[(1,4'-dimethyl-2'-propyl [2,6'-bi-1H-benzimidazol]-1'-yl)methyl]-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-carboxylic acid, and, according to the manufacturer, "There was no evidence of carcinogenicity when telmisartan was administered in the diet to mice and rats for up to 2 years." It is important to note that the report found Micardis to be the most at risk drug, and especially for people with diabetes, heart problems, and kidney function issues.
• eprosartan (Teveten), monomethanesulfonate of (E)-2-butyl-1-(p-carboxybenzyl)-α-2-thienylmethylimidazole-5-acrylic acid . "Eprosartan mesylate was not carcinogenic in dietary restricted rats or ad libitum fed mice dosed at 600 mg and 2000 mg eprosartan/kg/day, respectively, for up to 2 years."

Note that most of the drugs contain a benzene ring, known to be linked to carcinogenesis. Benzene has been linked to aplastic anaemia, leukaemia, and other cancers since reports were published in the Lancet in 1961.

Oddly ABC's reporter/MD did not seem to understand why these drugs would be a risk. I say 'oddly' because as an MD he, like I did in my health professional medical education to countless hours of pharmacology.

Keep looking for that benzene ring in any pharmaceutical drug and you know you may have a risk at hand.