Blood pressure medicine recall expands amid cancer concerns

Some blood pressure medications are being recalled because they contain a potential cancer-causing chemical.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said specific tablets of losartan potassium hydrochlorothiazide sold by Sandoz may contain N-Nitrosodiethylamine or NDEA. NDEA is a substance that occurs naturally in certain foods, drinking water, air pollution, and industrial processes, but it has been classified as a probable human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Sandoz voluntarily issued a recall for its losartan potassium hydrochlorothiazide 100 mg tablets with lot number JB8912 on the bottle.

This is the latest in a list of blood pressure medicines thought to contain trace amounts of NDEA. It's unclear exactly what the cancer risk is if you take the contaminated pills. The FDA believes the risk remains low.

The FDA reminds all patients taking blood pressure medicine to contact their doctor immediately if they fear their medicine is on the recall list. Patients should get a replacement medicine or alternative treatment option before they stop taking any prescribed medication.