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March 2022
Patients taking any of the widely prescribed angiotensin receptor blockers used to treat hypertension, among other disorders, should be aware that they have clinically important interactions with many other commonly used prescription and over-the-counter medications.
April 2021
Soon after the coronavirus pandemic began, theoretical concerns were raised about the possibility that the widely prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) may increase the risk of contracting the coronavirus and predispose COVID-19 patients to more severe illness. Results of a randomized controlled trial provide new evidence that ACE inhibitors and ARBs can be safely continued in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
March 2019
Read about the many prescription medications that can interact in dangerous ways with lithium, the drug of choice for treating bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression.
June 2018
This article lists practical steps to take to avoid death, hospitalization or other medical problems caused by heat stress. It also identifies over 100 drugs that can impair your response to heat and thereby increase your risk of heat-induced illness and death.
June 2017
We discuss new studies confirming that the widely used angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers can potentially harm the kidneys and cause dangerous elevations in blood potassium levels. These studies also indicated that many doctors are not heeding recommenda¬tions to look out for these side effects.
January 2016
For the approximately 5 million Americans suffering from chronic heart failure, there is a wide array of lifesaving drug treatments. Find out our take on the most recent expert guidelines for treating this disease.
January 2016
Patients taking drugs to treat high blood pressure often are directed to stop their medication at least 24 hours before surgery. Learn why restarting these medications as soon as possible after surgery could save your life.
April 2015
Patients should never take more than one of the following drugs used to treat high blood pressure at the same time: an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB), and aliskiren. Learn why doing so could have serious, even fatal consequences.
April 2013
Recent evidence points to increased acute kidney injury associated with combining nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with two antihypertensive drugs: a diuretic plus either an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). Find out the names of these drugs. This is especially important for patients with hypertension, diabetes, congestive heart failure or chronic kidney disease, because such patients are routinely treated with diuretics, ACE inhibitors and ARBs.
December 2012
It is dangerous to take any of the 18 popular blood pressure drugs of one type (ACE inhibitors) in combination with any of the 14 blood pressure drugs of another type (ARBs). It also is dangerous to take a drug in either of these classes in combination with a newer high blood pressure drug, aliskiren (TEKTURNA). Find out why.
June 2012
This article lists practical steps to take to avoid death, hospitalization or other medical problems caused by heat stress. It also contains a list of 123 drugs that can impair your response to heat.
May 2012
The article lists many drugs that treat high blood pressure but can also increase the risk of gout. If you have gout, ask your doctor whether your dose of any of these drugs could be reduced or whether you should switch to a medication with a lower gout risk. However, hypertension control is of utmost importance.
January 2010
This article lists a large number of drugs, used to treat high blood pressure and other carediovascular disease, that can interact harmfully with lithium (ESKALITH; LITHOBID; LITHONATE;generic lithium carbonate), drugs used to treat bipolar (manic/depressive) disorder. This may result in a dangerous condition known as lithium toxicity because these drugs stop the body from getting rid of lithium and lithium blood levels are increased; in severe cases, this can cause seizures, coma and even death. The article also lists other symptoms of lithium toxicity.
December 2008
This article lists 68 drugs that can cause high blood potassium (hyperkalemia) that can result in nausea, fatigue, muscle weakness or tingling sensations, as well as heart abnormalities (showing up as an abnormal electrocardiogram). In some cases it can be fatal.
If you are taking any of these drugs, be especially careful if you have diabetes or kidney disease. If so, you are at increased risk, and your doctor will have to weigh the risk of giving you these drugs. Also, the older you are, the more likely you are to develop hyperkalemia. Also, make sure you are receiving appropriate laboratory monitoring.
August 2006
Because of the risk of birth defects, you should contact your physician immediately if you are pregnant and are taking either an ACE or ARB inhibitor at any stage in pregnancy. DO NOT discontinue a blood pressure-lowering drug without first consulting the prescriber.
September 2003
DO NOT stop taking any of the drugs listed in the table without first consulting your physician.
You should report any alteration in your sense of taste to your physician if you are taking a drug.