Cancer-Linked Contaminant Found in Heartburn Pills

Preventing heartburn is important, but not if the drug that does so causes cancer. According to a recent NBC News article, the FDA released a statement last Friday saying that low levels of a cancer-linked chemical had been identified in samples of Zantac, a popular over-the-counter heartburn medication. The chemical in question is NDMA, which has been linked to an increased risk for colorectal and uterine cancers. It’s also the contaminant that has led to multiple recalls of blood pressure drugs in the past year. The FDA hasn’t yet issued a recall related to the impurities as it is still evaluating whether the levels pose a health risk.