TORONTO – Health Canada is warning doctors and patients with high blood pressure not to take some drugs for the condition in combination.
It says there are health risks from taking any combination of aliskiren, which is known as a renin inhibitor, and two other classes of drugs, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers.
The department says recent studies have shown that any combination of these drugs increases the risks of hypotension or low blood pressure, hyperkalemia or excess potassium in the blood and kidney problems.
The statement says aliskiren should not be taken in combination with the other classes of drugs by patients with diabetes or kidney disease because it increases their risk of having a stroke or fainting.
Health Canada says the product labels for these drugs have been updated to reflect the new recommendations regarding their safe use.
A list of the products containing these medications can be found on Health Canada’s website.
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On the Web:
Health Canada’s blood pressure drugs warning: http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2014/37895a-eng.php
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