Blood pressure medication recalled nationwide under FDA’s Class II risk level

(NEXSTAR) – If you are one of millions of Americans taking medication to lower blood pressure, you may want to check the label.

Inventia Healthcare Limited, based in Mumbai, India, is voluntarily recalling 13,567 bottles of chlorthalidone tablets that may not dissolve properly, potentially lowering the dosage that gets absorbed by the body. The bottles of 25 mg tablets being recalled nationwide have the batch number RISA24002 and an expiration date of March 2027.

The chlorthalidone recall follows Inventia Healthcare’s June recall of 11,460 bottles of blood pressure medication that also failed to properly dissolve.

The latest recall was initially announced Sept. 3, and, on Sept. 17, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assigned it a Class II risk level, or a situation in which a product may cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.”

The risk level is not as serious as a Class I recall, used for recalls when a product can cause serious health consequences or death, such as the August recall of 1.6 million cartons of eggs that were potentially tainted with salmonella.

High blood pressure in the United States

Almost half of adult Americans have high blood pressure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Defined as a blood pressure reading of 130 mm Hg/80 mm Hg or higher, elevated blood pressure can put people at risk of heart disease or stroke, the leading causes of death in the U.S., according to the CDC.

High blood pressure can also lead to kidney disease, pregnancy-related complications, vision decline and dementia, among other health problems.

Along with medication, the CDC recommends the following lifestyle changes to prevent or manage high blood pressure: 30 minutes of physical activity for five days a week, not smoking, limiting sodium and alcohol, eating healthy foods, keeping a healthy weight and managing stress.