![\"woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/0_GettyImages-2156509486.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThis is ‘essential advice’ for millions of people.<\/p>\n
The UK Government has important guidance for millions of people on certain medications that is especially relevant this week(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n
Millions of individuals taking commonly-prescribed medications across the UK have received “essential advice” from the UK government which is particularly relevant this week.<\/p>\n
Among the medications highlighted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers. Numerous other medicines are also referenced by the agency, detailed further below.<\/p>\n
Ramipril is an ACE inhibitor extensively prescribed<\/a> to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. Meanwhile, bisoprolol ranks amongst the most frequently-used beta blockers<\/a>, prescribed to treat angina, high blood pressure and heart failure, amongst other conditions.<\/p>\n On 26 June, the MHRA issued guidance<\/a> on safeguarding your medicines during extreme heat and remaining safe as the UK experienced a heatwave of severe temperatures which peaked at a record 37.7C and resulted in school<\/a> closures, reports the Mirror<\/a>.. This week, temperatures are once more anticipated to exceed 30C<\/a> and climb as high as 34C across parts of the UK by Wednesday and Thursday<\/a>.<\/p>\n Alison Cave, chief safety officer at the MHRA, stated: “It’s easy to forget that medicines left in the heat \u2013 in cars, bags, or on sunny windowsills \u2013 might not work properly when you need them. Some medicines can also make you more likely to burn in the sun, feel dizzy, or get dehydrated, especially if you’re taking diuretics or have a condition like asthma, heart disease, or diabetes.”<\/p>\n Why does heat affect medicines?<\/p>\n The MHRA states that most medicines require storage at temperatures below 25C. By the end of June, many people will have encountered rooms in their homes, workplaces or schools reaching and surpassing these temperatures.<\/p>\n Heat “breaks down the active ingredients in medicines”, the MHRA explains, cautioning that medicines requiring refrigeration “are especially vulnerable to heat”. Should medicine be affected by heat, it may no longer function correctly.<\/p>\n Medicine can also affect how your body copes with heat<\/p>\n While it is widely understood that the body loses greater amounts of water through perspiration in warm conditions, the MHRA notes that “some medicines can make this worse, or make it harder for your body to cope with heat”.<\/p>\n It specifically highlights some medicines, saying: “Blood pressure medicines such as ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, or calcium channel blockers can also make it harder for your body to regulate temperature, especially during sudden hot spells. ACE inhibitors can even suppress your natural thirst response.”<\/p>\n Frequently prescribed ACE inhibitors in the UK include ramipril, captopril, enalapril and others. Widely used beta-blockers include atenolol, bisoprolol, propranolol and others.<\/p>\n