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Valsartan

Medication angiotensin receptor blocker heart & blood pressure
Aka: Diovan
Brands seen in Singapore: Diovan, Starval, Cuberec, Valsart Standard, Vytan
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Prescribed for high blood pressure and some heart conditions
When to take
NHS: once or twice a day, SAMe time each day
Take with
Water · NHS: with or without food; potassium salts flagged
Pros & cons
Pros
  • NHS: once or twice a day, with or without food
  • HealthHub: also used when there is protein in the urine
  • NHS: most adults 18 and over can take it
Cons
  • NHS: dizziness, headache, tummy pain, feeling tired
  • NHS: rare liver problems or raised potassium
  • NHS: not usually used in pregnancy or breastfeeding
Sources
  1. HSA — Listing of Registered Therapeutic Products (data.gov.sg open dataset, 5,511 rows, cached in full and filtered locally) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “All 35 valsartan-containing products carry Forensicclassification 'Prescription Only'; 12 are single-ingredient (ATC C09CA03) — SIN11555P DIOVAN TABLET 80 mg · SIN14778P STARVAL · SIN17170P CUBEREC · SIN15327P VALSART STANDARD · SIN16405P VYTAN; strengths 80 mg and 160 mg.”
  2. NHS Medicines A-Z — Valsartan (index page) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “you'll usually need to take it long-term … Your doctor will arrange for you to have blood tests and blood pressure checks while you're taking valsartan”
  3. NHS Medicines A-Z — Valsartan: how to take valsartan · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Most people need to take valsartan once or twice a day … take it at any time of day, but try to take it at the same time every day; take it with water, with or without food”
  4. NHS Medicines A-Z — Valsartan: side effects · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Common side effects of valsartan can include: dizziness; headache; tummy pain; feeling tired; feeling sick (nausea) … Possible serious side effects … problems with your liver … increased levels of potassium”
  5. NHS Medicines A-Z — Valsartan: who can take valsartan · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Most adults aged 18 years or over can take valsartan. Valsartan may also be suitable for children aged 6 to 17 years old.”
  6. NHS Medicines A-Z — Valsartan: who can and cannot take it, pregnancy and breastfeeding · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “it may not be suitable if: you've had an allergic reaction or serious side effect from other ARB medicines; you have severe heart failure; you have problems with your liver or kidneys; you've had … angioedema in the past”
  7. NHS Medicines A-Z — Taking valsartan with other medicines, food and drink · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “other medicines used to treat high blood pressure, including ACE inhibitors like lisinopril; some medicines that remove excess fluid … such as spironolactone; supplements and salt substitutes … that contain potassium; some NSAIDs, including ibuprofen; lithium”
  8. NHS Medicines A-Z — Valsartan: food, drink and alcohol · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “You can generally eat as normal while taking valsartan, but tell your doctor if you regularly eat salt alternatives containing potassium (such as LoSalt) while taking valsartan.”
  9. HealthHub (Singapore) — Valsartan: what is this medication for · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Valsartan lowers blood pressure by blocking the effects of a substance called Angiotensin II at the blood vessel walls. This medication can also be used for patients who have protein in their urine and other heart conditions.”
  10. HealthHub — Valsartan: what precautions should I take · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Inform your doctor if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant … Taking this medication can cause injury and death to your developing fetus. Your doctor may need to monitor your potassium levels and kidney function”
  11. US FDA label for DIOVAN (valsartan), section 2 Dosage and Administration, via openFDA (Novartis, effective 2026-08-11) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Indication Starting Dose Dose Range* Hypertension Adults ( 2.2 ) 80 mg to 160 mg once daily 80 mg to 320 mg once daily … Heart Failure 40 mg twice daily 40 mg to 160 mg twice daily”
  12. US FDA label for DIOVAN, sections 2.2 Hypertension in Adults and 2.3 Hypertension in Pediatric Patients, via openFDA · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “If additional antihypertensive effect is required over the starting dose range, the dose may be increased to a maximum of 320 mg … The maximum daily dose administered in clinical trials is 320 mg in divided doses.”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.