Recall alert: Blood pressure medication recalled; may be contaminated with wrong drug

The Food and Drug Administration has recalled a popular treatment for high blood pressure.

The agency said that bottles of bisoprolol fumarate and hydrochlorothiazide tablets, under the brand name Ziac, may have been cross-contaminated with other drugs, USA Today reported.

The drugmaker said testing of reserve samples showed traces of ezetimibe, a cholesterol drug made by the same company.

The recall affects tablets in dosages from 2.5 mg to 6.25 mg made by Madhya Pradesh in India for Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, USA Today reported.

The Hill reported that more than 11,100 bottles have been recalled.

The following pills have been recalled, according to USA Today:

30-tablet bottles, NDC-68462-878-30. Lot 17232401, expiration 11/2025.
100-tablet bottles, NDC-68462-878-01. Lot 17232401, expiration 11/2025.
500-tablet bottles, NDC-68462-878-05. Lots 17232401, exp. 11/2025 and 17240974, expiration 05/2026.

The recall is a Class III, or "a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health consequences," according to the FDA.

Bisoprolol fumarate and hydrochlorothiazide are prescribed in combination. The first is a heart beta blocker, according to the Mayo Clinic and allows it to beat normally. The second increases urination to remove sodium and water from a person. The medications also allow blood vessels to relax, lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart attacks or strokes.