On July 10, 2018 Health Canada released a MedEffect Notice advising of a recall of certain medications containing Valsartan. Valsartan is an ingredient found in a class of medications known as Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonists and is used to treat high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and to increase the chances of living longer after a heart attack. Side effects of using Valsartan include chest pain, dizziness, vomiting, blurred vision, palpitations, joint pain and more. A number of products containing Valsartan have been found to be contaminated with a known human carcinogen called N-nitrosodimethylamine (“NDMA”). NDMA is toxic to the liver and other organs and is also used create cancer in rats used for cancer research. The Valsartan in question was sourced from Zhejiang Huahai Pharmaceuticals in China.
