Losartan is an antihypertensive drug that has recently been ambushed with concerns that it causes cancer. The drug’s main usage is as a prescription to treat high blood pressure and kidney disease. While users may experience diarrhea, stomach pain, and muscle cramps as a part of their treatment plan, Losartan has been under fire from the Food and Drug Administration for containing carcinogens, substances that promote cancer cell growth. This resulted in many voluntary recalls of Valsartan, Losartan, and Irbesartan over the past two years[1].
Losartan is a type of **angiotensin receptor blocker**, which is used to relax veins and promote blood circulation, similar to the other medications mentioned above, but there is overwhelming concern from the scientific community that these may lead to serious health problems[2]. These health problems could include lung cancer and other solid **malignancy**, a term to describe diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues[3].
Specifically, these angiotensin receptor blockers have been found to contain traces of the carcinogen **N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA)**. Foreign manufacturers are facing rising political pressure after failing to disclose all ingredients used as well as potential side effects. It is believed that the manufacturers have fraudulently concealed information from the FDA for this drug to be approved even though it carries cancer-causing chemicals and impurities[4]. Additionally, one report details that the company was aware that their medication contained trace amounts of a carcinogen for four years before regulators detected the impurity in the summer of 2018[5].
If Losartan is a drug that you or someone you know has taken recently, please **consult your doctor** so you can consider future options regarding your health. This will be your best option when it comes to searching for different avenues of treatment in replacement of Losartan to treat high blood pressure or kidney disease.
