3. Positioning of antihypertensive diuretics

Antihypertensive treatment with diuretics: antediluvian

Thiazide diuretics were among the first drugs able to lower blood pressure with minimal side-effects in a large proportion of the hypertensive population. In addition they appeared to potentiate nearly all other hypotensive drugs. Hence they were advised as the mainstay of antihypertensive treatment and were used in all large-scale trials [1] which showed beneficial effect of blood pressure low...

Mechanism of antihypertensive effect of thiazide diuretics.

Hemodynamic studies were carried out before and during 8 weeks of treatment with hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg. twice daily in 11 hypertensive patients. Forty-eight hours after beginning treatment there was a significant reduction in blood pressure, cardiac output, plasma volume, and extracellular fluid volume (thiocyanate space) while total peripheral resistance increased. After 6 and 8 weeks of t...

Beta-blockers and diuretics in antihypertensive therapy: the debate continues.

BUMC PROCEEDINGS 2000;13:379–380 Editor’s note: In the April 2000 issue, Dr. Franz Messerli published an article entitled “Antihypertensive therapy: beta-blockers and diuretics— why do physicians not always follow guidelines?” BUMC Proceedings published commentaries to this article by Dr. Marvin Moser of Yale University School of Medicine and Dr. Norman Kaplan of The University of Texas Southwe...

Antihypertensive Therapy: Beta-Blockers and Diuretics - What is the Evidence?

Persistence and adherence to antihypertensive treatment in relation to initial prescription: diuretics versus other classes of antihypertensive drugs.

BACKGROUND The use of thiazide diuretics in the treatment of hypertension is widely considered as a first-line treatment, given the efficacy and low cost of this class of drugs. This indication is not unanimous, because thiazides can cause metabolic alterations, and other side effects that reduce compliance and persistence on treatment. OBJECTIVES In a multicentre, open-label randomized study...