Blood Pressure Drug Linked to Risk of Stroke
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it intends to continue to investigate the hypertension drug Benicar after two new clinical trials revealed an increased risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular related-death in some patients. Benicar, also know as olmesartan in its generic form, belongs to a family of drugs known as angiotensin receptor blockers. Two recent clinical trials revealed that patients taking Benicar, as a treatment to slow kidney disease, were at greater risk of cardiovascular-related death when compared to those who were given a placebo. The FDA says that it will continue to monitor the situation but believes that the benefits of taking Benicar outweigh any potential risk - for now.
