High Blood Pressure (hypertension)
Physicians Finally Fed Up With the FDA and ARB R…
Week after week, month after month, we have been learning about ARB recalls. These angiotensin receptor blockers have been taken by at least two million Americans to control blood pressure or treat he…
A New Carcinogen Found in BP Meds | More ARB Rec…
How many times have we said, Not Again? We are, sadly, referring to ARB recalls. ARBs are short for angiotensin receptor blockers. They treat high blood pressure. Basically, it boils down to another w…
What Is the Right Dose of Baking Soda?
We love simple remedies using ingredients you already have on hand in your pantry, so long as they work and they are safe. One time-honored approach to ease indigestion is taking a baking soda solutio…
Are Fears About FDA’s Generic Drug Oversight J…
A year-long investigation by Bloomberg News has revealed substantial concerns about the quality of generic drugs. The four-part series is mind-boggling in its revelations. Here are the first three art…
Will Apple Cider Vinegar Lower Your Blood Pressu…
Apple cider vinegar is an extremely popular home remedy. More than 50 years ago, D. C. Jarvis, MD, published his best-selling book, Folk Medicine: A Vermont Doctor's Guide to Good Health. In it, he pr…
Swollen Ankles from Amlodipine and Swollen Tongu…
"Swelling" as a drug side effect doesn't seem like that big a deal. Yet drug-induced swelling can be unpleasant at best and life threatening at worst. Amlodipine (Norvasc) is the second most frequentl…
Unbelievable! Yet Another Drug Recall | Amlodipi…
OK, we admit it, we're starting to sound like a cracked record when it comes to drug recalls. We apologize. It is really sad that we have to issue regular reports about FDA oversight and pharmaceutica…
Another Day Another Losartan Recall | Can We Tru…
Are you becoming numb to FDA generic drug recalls? We wouldn't blame you if you were. The ARB debacle came to light on July 5, 2018. That's when the European Medicines Agency (EMA) started warning cou…
Exercise for Blood Pressure Control Is Surprisin…
Have you checked your blood pressure recently? Guidelines from the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) encourage physicians to treat people with systolic bloo…
Is Your Blood Pressure Medicine Safe? Valsartan …
The ongoing saga of contaminated valsartan continues with another valsartan recall. In July, European drug regulators recalled Chinese-made valsartan because it was contaminated with a probable carcin…
Chinese-Made Losartan Recall | More Cancer Conce…
No, no, no, no no! Not again!! Just last week we said "Not Again" when we learned that that some formulations of the blood pressure drug irbesartan were contaminated with the impurity NDEA (N-nitrosod…
Brits Contradict U.S. Experts About Blood Pressu…
A key component of medical treatment is blood pressure management. Whenever you visit a doctor’s office, you will almost always have your blood pressure measured. Guidelines from the American Colleg…
Irbesartan Is Contaminated with Probable Cancer-…
We are getting very tired of saying “Not Again!” Sadly, though, this has become a surprisingly familiar refrain here at The People’s Pharmacy. This time it is another ARB (angiotensin receptor b…
The Pros and Cons of Treating Mild Hypertension
Prepare for whiplash. A year ago the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) issued new guidelines for treating mild hypertension. People with blood pressure at o…
ACE Inhibitors and Lung Cancer | Should You Be C…
Popular blood pressure medications called ACE inhibitors have been associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are taken daily by more than 30 mill…
What Does Gum Disease Have to Do With Your Blood…
Gum disease has been associated with type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis and a number of cardiovascular complications. Researchers have even found links with some types of cancer. Gum …
Searching for a Better Blood Pressure Pill
Under the guidelines adopted by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association in 2017, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure. Most of them take medication to …
Show 1134: Can You Control Your Blood Pressure W…
High blood pressure is an important risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. A recent change in guidelines urges doctors to treat people whose blood pressure would not have been considered particula…
When Are Two Pills Cheaper Than One?
Generic drugs are supposed to save consumers money. After all, the generic manufacturer did not have to pay for the research proving the medicine works. But many people have found that prices are risi…
Are Your HCTZ or Valsartan Blood Pressure Pills …
We can hardly believe this. The FDA announced there are additional blood pressure pills recalled. Yup, you guessed it! The FDA is expanding the valsartan recall...again! We have lost count of how many…
Pharmacist Did Not Tell the Truth About Valsarta…
Over the past month, a recall that at first appeared quite limited in scope has continued to spread. The problem is with an active pharmaceutical ingredient made in China that was contaminated with a …
Helping Your Heart Means Boosting Your Brain
We have long suspected that taking care of your heart health with exercise, a diet rich in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, stress management and social interaction could also benefit your brain. …
Swapping Losartan for Valsartan Results in Stoma…
The ongoing valsartan recall has caused a lot of trouble. Pharmacists have had to hunt for alternative suppliers that did not use the contaminated active ingredient from Zhejiang Huahai company in Ch…
What Are Natural Ways to Lower High Blood Pressu…
Do you have hypertension? The chances are strong that you do. That’s because cardiologists at the American Heart Association have established new guidelines. Anyone whose blood pressure readings are…
The Valsartan Recall Disaster Keeps Getting Wors…
The Food and Drug Administration has expanded its recall of the blood pressure drug valsartan for the third time. On July 5th the European Medicines Agency issued an alert that Chinese-made valsartan …
Valsartan Recall Update: How Big Is The Problem?
By now you have read a lot about the valsartan recall. Many lots of the common blood pressure pill, valsartan, have been recalled. Initially, the FDA issued recalls for valsartan from just three manuf…
Pharmacist Wouldn’t Take Back Recalled Valsart…
On July 5, 2018 the European Medicines Agency announced a recall of a generic blood pressure medicine called valsartan (Diovan). The active ingredient in some generic formulations was apparently conta…
Worrisome Implications of Valsartan Recall Over …
On July 15, 2018 we issued a People’s Pharmacy Health Alert: Valsartan Blood Pressure Pills Recalled Over Cancer Concerns. We tried to provide you, our faithful readers, the story behind the headlin…
Valsartan Blood Pressure Pills Recalled over Can…
This is scary. Please pay attention. Valsartan (Diovan) is a popular blood pressure and heart medication. According to our calculations, over 16 million prescriptions are dispensed annually. That mean…
Antibiotic Plus BP Medicine Led to Deadly Drug I…
We have been writing about the dangers of drug interactions for over 40 years. We assumed that when computers entered the scene doctors would check for dangerous drug combinations before prescribing a…
Exercise Plus Sauna Bathing Better Than Either A…
People in Finland love to spend time sauna bathing. They do not view a sweat bath as an indulgence. They think of the sauna as a special place with healing properties. The majority of people in Finlan…
What’s the Best Way to Take Blood Pressure Mea…
Health professionals often rely upon blood pressure measurements taken in the clinic to diagnose hypertension. If a patient has a blood pressure (BP) reading greater than 130/80 in a doctor’s office…
How to Avoid Trouble at the Pharmacy Checkout
In one of the first scenes of the returning show, Roseanne, Roseanne is sitting at the kitchen table when her husband walks through the door, prescription bag in hand. “Oooh! My favorite! Drugs!” …
What Happens When Minor Drug Side Effects Turn D…
Health professionals often categorize drug side effects three ways. First come the common complications of medicines. If 20 to 30 percent of patients complain of headaches or diarrhea after taking a m…
Metoprolol for High Blood Pressure Raised Blood …
Metoprolol is a beta blocker heart medicine. It is perennially on the doctors’ top 10 hit parade of most prescribed medicines. Over the last decade, roughly 70 million prescriptions were dispensed e…
How Can You Ease Arthritis Pain Safely?
People with chronic pain such as the joint pain of severe osteoarthritis are often faced with terrible trade-offs. To get relief from the inflammation and discomfort, they may have to rely on medicati…
Incredible Beet Health Benefits for Brain and Bl…
Red beets are known officially as Beta vulgaris rubra. Researchers generally refer to this vegetable as beetroot. Although this root vegetable is popular in Europe, it doesn't have a lot of fans in th…
Will Garlic Really Lower Your Blood Pressure?
Humans love variety in their food, and have found numerous ways to enliven it. Spices of various sorts have been used to give food an interesting flavor. Many of these additives have also been used me…
What Do You Really Know About Scary Ibuprofen Si…
Do you read the labels on OTC pain relievers? Be honest now. The last time you purchased Advil, Motrin IB or some house brand ibuprofen pills, did you check out the dosage instructions or the warnings…
Hydrochlorothiazide Triggers Gout |Cherries to t…
Are you taking HCTZ or HCT? Those are the abbreviations for hydrochlorothiazide. This “thiazide” diuretic is probably one of the most prescribed drugs in the world. By our count, over 20 million p…