Reported Reactions

Drugs › Angiotensin 2 receptor blocker

Generic name

Valsartan: adverse event reports filed with FDA

16,935 reports list it as a suspect or interacting product, 2004–2026. Class: Angiotensin 2 receptor blocker. Also reported as Valsartan 160mg, Valsartan Tablets Usp, Valsartan Tablets.

16,935
reports as suspect product
0.1% of all reports · about 753 a year
923
reports, 12 months to June 2026
1,163 in the 12 months before
83.8%
marked serious by the reporter
67.6% across the class
7%
record death among outcomes, as reported
1,192 reports · not verified by FDA

Between January 2004 and June 2026, 16,935 adverse event reports received by FDA list valsartan, a generic name as a suspect or interacting product. Reports that mention it only as a concomitant medication (37,981) are left out of every figure here.

In the 12 months to June 2026, 923 reports listed it, down 21% from 1,163 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Over its reporting history that is about 753 reports a year and 0.1% of the 20,646,523 reports in the database, and 7% of the reports for the angiotensin 2 receptor blocker class. How many people take it is not in the data, so a count is not a rate of occurrence.

The MedDRA terms listed most often are drug ineffective (8.4%), acute kidney injury (7.6%) and dizziness (7.1%). A report can list several reactions, so shares add to more than 100%; 2,540 different terms appear across these reports. Drug ineffective is recorded in 8.4% of these reports, a larger share than in the median angiotensin 2 receptor blocker drug (5.9%).

83.8% of the reports are marked serious by the reporter (67.6% across the class); 7% record death among the outcomes and 39.3% record hospitalisation, as reported. 34.2% of the reports came from consumers, and the largest patient age group is 45 to 64 (19.4%). FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event."

Reports by month, five years

079157Jul 2021: 107Aug 2021: 97Sep 2021: 128Oct 2021: 126Nov 2021: 116Dec 2021: 1412022Jan 2022: 84Feb 2022: 90Mar 2022: 120Apr 2022: 110May 2022: 110Jun 2022: 86Jul 2022: 119Aug 2022: 92Sep 2022: 109Oct 2022: 81Nov 2022: 83Dec 2022: 722023Jan 2023: 70Feb 2023: 92Mar 2023: 71Apr 2023: 96May 2023: 116Jun 2023: 118Jul 2023: 123Aug 2023: 103Sep 2023: 76Oct 2023: 85Nov 2023: 108Dec 2023: 902024Jan 2024: 100Feb 2024: 139Mar 2024: 137Apr 2024: 157May 2024: 147Jun 2024: 99Jul 2024: 143Aug 2024: 87Sep 2024: 147Oct 2024: 107Nov 2024: 73Dec 2024: 862025Jan 2025: 64Feb 2025: 79Mar 2025: 109Apr 2025: 108May 2025: 97Jun 2025: 63Jul 2025: 82Aug 2025: 83Sep 2025: 60Oct 2025: 56Nov 2025: 96Dec 2025: 1102026Jan 2026: 75Feb 2026: 57Mar 2026: 64Apr 2026: 70May 2026: 69Jun 2026: 101

Reports by the month FDA received them. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases.

By year received

01,3072,6132004: 5420042005: 572006: 722007: 5720072008: 962009: 1072010: 10820102011: 3412012: 2402013: 16020132014: 2722015: 6682016: 74020162017: 7502018: 2,6132019: 2,42020192020: 1,7722021: 1,2382022: 1,15620222023: 1,1482024: 1,4222025: 1,00720252026: 436

2026 covers reports received through June 2026 only.

Reactions recorded in the reports

share of Valsartan reports recording the termmedian drug in angiotensin 2 receptor blocker

  1. Drug ineffectivethe medicine did not work as expected8.4%1,418
  2. Acute kidney injurysudden loss of kidney function7.6%1,289
  3. Dizzinesslight-headedness or unsteadiness7.1%1,203
  4. Headachehead pain6.4%1,076
  5. Dyspnoeashortness of breath5.7%959
  6. Hypotensionlow blood pressure5.5%934
  7. Hypertensionhigh blood pressure5.3%906
  8. Blood pressure increaseda raised blood pressure reading5.1%871
  9. Fatiguetiredness5.1%859
  10. Drug interactionan interaction between medicines5%845
  11. Nauseafeeling sick4.7%789
  12. Diarrhoealoose or frequent stools4.4%751
  13. Malaisegeneral feeling of being unwell4.2%707
  14. Coughcough3.9%665
  15. Weight decreasedweight loss3.6%606
  16. Falla fall3.4%568
  17. Astheniaweakness or lack of energy3.3%562
  18. Painpain, site not specified3.2%534
  19. Hyperkalaemiahigh blood potassium3%508
  20. Hyponatraemialow blood sodium3%504
  21. Chest painchest pain3%500
  22. Arthralgiajoint pain2.8%482
  23. Oedema peripheralswelling of the legs, ankles or hands2.8%467
  24. Anaemialow red blood cells2.7%465
  25. Vomitingbeing sick2.7%450
  26. General physical health deteriorationgeneral decline in health2.5%423
  27. Anxietyanxiety2.5%421
  28. Pyrexiafever2.5%420
  29. Off label useused for a purpose or in a way not on the label2.5%416
  30. Myalgiamuscle pain2.4%411

Top 30 of 2,540 MedDRA preferred terms recorded across these reports, with a plain-language gloss where one is available. One report can record several terms. The hollow bar is the median share across the 24 drugs in the angiotensin 2 receptor blocker class; it describes the reports, not the patients. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Outcomes recorded

Death7%1,192
Life-threatening6.7%1,129
Hospitalisation (initial or prolonged)39.3%6,656
Disability3.7%635
Congenital anomaly1.6%263
Other serious57.5%9,742
Not serious16.2%2,738

Outcome flags as the reporter set them; a report can carry several, and "other serious" is FDA's own category for serious reports outside the named outcomes. Grey bar: all 243,200 reports in the class. FDA has not verified any outcome and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events."

Patients and reporters

Patient age

Under 20.5%80
2 to 110.2%27
12 to 170.5%88
18 to 443.4%572
45 to 6419.4%3,291
65 to 7416.6%2,811
75 and over19%3,218
Age not given40.4%6,848

Patient sex

Female47.5%8,047
Male37.2%6,306
Not given15.2%2,582

Who reported

Physician25.7%4,348
Pharmacist8.8%1,485
Other health professional25.3%4,289
Lawyer4%680
Consumer or non-health professional34.2%5,784
Not given2.1%349

Age and sex as stated in the report; the reporter's qualification is the primary source recorded by FDA. 36.5% of reports give the United States as the country of the event or reporter.

Reason for use recorded

Indication as recorded (MedDRA)ReportsShare
Hypertension6,10536%
Cardiac failure3071.8%
Blood pressure abnormal2291.4%
Blood pressure measurement1951.2%
Essential hypertension870.5%
Blood pressure increased590.3%

The indication field is filled in by the reporter and is often blank; shares are of all 16,935 reports.

Drugs most often listed in the same reports

Drug (any role in the report)ReportsShare of Valsartan reports
Amlodipine2,08712.3%
Hydrochlorothiazide1,4748.7%
Aspirin1,4068.3%
Furosemide1,3187.8%
Pantoprazole1,0916.4%
Metformin1,0866.4%
Atorvastatin1,0446.2%
Bisoprolol9695.7%
Acetaminophen9665.7%
Metoprolol9305.5%

Other products listed in reports where Valsartan is a suspect product, whatever their own role. Co-listing means the two were recorded together; it says nothing about either product's part in the event. Only the 2,500 most-reported names are counted here.

In context

MeasureValsartanAngiotensin 2 receptor blockerAll reports
Reports as suspect product16,935243,20020,646,523
Share of that pool—7%0.1%
Reports, latest 12 months923—1,332,454
Marked serious83.8%67.6%57.4%
Death recorded among outcomes, per 1,000 reports7011191
Hospitalisation recorded, per 1,000 reports393287213
Consumer-filed share34.2%54.2%45.8%
Top term, share of reportsDrug ineffective 8.4%median 5.9%6.3%

Shares are of reports, not of patients treated. The number of people taking a product is not in the data, so none of these figures is a rate, and differences between columns reflect who takes a product, who reports and how long it has been sold. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic."

Other drugs in the angiotensin 2 receptor blocker class

DrugName typeReportsLatest 12 monthsMarked serious
Entrestobrand105,1731,28549.3%
Diovanbrand17,17913391.7%
Losartangeneric15,1761,13780.1%
Candesartangeneric10,1971,48798.6%
Irbesartangeneric10,05569293.7%
Benicarbrand8,3707969.4%
Losartan potassiumgeneric6,72524673%
Exforgebrand6,26610895.3%
Diovan HCTbrand5,6703095.3%
Filsparibrand5,5982,90816.1%
Candesartan cilexetilgeneric5,31162297.6%
Cozaarbrand4,9136070.2%
Olmesartan medoxomilgeneric4,77716990.6%
Telmisartangeneric4,66635791.2%
Atacandbrand4,5974876.6%

Ordered by report count for navigation only. FDA states that adverse event reports "represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product", that "common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product", and that the data "by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic." A brand and its generic are separate rows because reporters name them separately.

Questions about Valsartan reports

How many adverse event reports has FDA received for Valsartan?

16,935 reports list Valsartan as a suspect or interacting product in the openFDA FAERS release of 28 Sep 2026, covering reports received through June 2026. 923 of them arrived in the latest 12 months. Another 37,981 list it only as a concomitant medication.

What reactions are recorded in Valsartan reports?

drug ineffective (8.4%), acute kidney injury (7.6%), dizziness (7.1%), headache (6.4%) and dyspnoea (5.7%). These are MedDRA preferred terms coded from what the reporter described; a report can list several, and a term's presence is not a finding that Valsartan was responsible.

How serious are the reports?

83.8% are marked serious by the reporter. Among the outcomes recorded, 7% of reports include death and 39.3% include hospitalisation. FDA has not verified these outcomes and states that the reports "cannot be used to estimate the incidence" of the events.

Who files these reports?

consumer or non-health professional (34.2%), physician (25.7%) and other health professional (25.3%). Most reports reach FDA through the manufacturer, which must forward reports it receives.

Are reports for Valsartan rising?

923 reports in the 12 months to June 2026, down 21% from 1,163 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data quarterly, so the newest months are incomplete and grow in later releases. Counts also move with how many people take a product, its time on the market and publicity.

Do these reports show that Valsartan was responsible for these reactions?

No. FDA states that "a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report" and that for any given report "there is no certainty that a suspected drug caused the event." The reaction may relate to the condition being treated, to other medicines, or to something else.

Is this a list of the side effects of Valsartan?

No. It is a count of what was reported to FDA. The adverse reactions observed in clinical studies are printed on the FDA-approved label, which a pharmacist or clinician can go through with you.

How do I report an adverse event?

Consumers and health professionals can report to FDA through MedWatch (Form FDA 3500 online, or 1-800-FDA-1088), or to the manufacturer, which must pass reports on. See the guide on how to report.

Where this comes from. Counts are built from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk export released 28 Sep 2026, which holds reports FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. Drug names are as reported, resolved to the brand or generic name on the FDA label where openFDA's harmonisation matched them; classes are the pharmacologic class (EPC) from the label and the National Drug Code Directory of 17 Sep 2026. A report counts here when it lists Valsartan as a suspect or interacting product; reports listing it only as a concomitant medication (37,981) are excluded. No report narrative, lot number, patient detail or reporter identity is published. See the methodology and sources; FDA's record is authoritative, and corrections are handled within five working days.

Drug data (FAERS) through 30 Jun 2026; device data (MAUDE) through 31 Aug 2026. Not medical advice.