Valsartan

Valsartan, sold under the trade name Diovan among others, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic kidney disease. It is a reasonable initial treatment for high blood pressure. It is taken by mouth. Versions are available as the combination valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide, valsartan/amlodipine, or valsartan/sacubitril. Valsartan, sold under the trade name Diovan among others, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and diabetic kidney disease. It is a reasonable initial treatment for high blood pressure. It is taken by mouth. Versions are available as the combination valsartan/hydrochlorothiazide, valsartan/amlodipine, or valsartan/sacubitril. Common side effects include feeling tired, dizziness, high blood potassium, diarrhea, and joint pain. Other serious side effects may include kidney problems, low blood pressure, and angioedema. Use in pregnancy may harm the baby and use when breastfeeding is not recommended. It is an angiotensin II receptor antagonist and works by blocking the effects of angiotensin II. Valsartan was patented in 1990 and came into medical use in 1996. It is available as a generic medication. A month supply in the United Kingdom costs the NHS about 5 £ per month as of 2019. In the United States the wholesale cost of this amount is about US$7.50. In 2016, it was the 92nd most prescribed medication in the United States, with more than eight million prescriptions. Valsartan is used to treat high blood pressure, heart failure, and to reduce death for people with left ventricular dysfunction after having had a heart attack. It is a reasonable initial treatment for high blood pressure as are ACE inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers, and thiazide diuretics. There is contradictory evidence with regard to treating people with heart failure with a combination of an angiotensin receptor blocker like valsartan and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, with two major clinical trials showing a reduction in death, and two others showing no benefits, and more adverse effects including heart attacks, hypotension, and renal dysfunction. In people with type II diabetes and high blood pressure or albumin in the urine, valsartan is used to slow the worsening and the development of end-stage kidney disease. The packaging for valsartan includes a warning stating the drug should not be used with the renin inhibitor aliskiren in people with diabetes mellitus. It also states the drug should not be used in people with kidney disease. Valsartan falls in FDA pregnancy category D and includes a black box warning for fetal toxicity. Discontinuation of these agents is recommended immediately after detection of pregnancy and an alternative medication should be started. The US labeling makes no recommendation regarding continuation or discontinuation of valsartan for breast-feeding mothers. The Canadian labeling does not recommend use by nursing women.