title: The role of diuretics in the treatment of hypertension.
abstract: An oral diuretic has been the most popular step-one drug for the treatment of hypertension in the United States for more than 15 years. Diuretics have many of the attributes of the ideal step-one drug: they are inexpensive, easy to titrate, effective in a large percentage of patients with mild to moderate hypertension, well tolerated, and they enhance the effectiveness of other antihypertensive drugs. Recently, concerns about the safety of diuretics have been raised. All of the placebo-controlled trials that have demonstrated a reduction in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality have used an oral diuretic as step one. Diuretics have more desirable attributes for step-one antihypertensive therapy than any of the alternatives. In the absence of a specific indication for another antihypertensive drug, diuretics in low dosage should continue to be the step-one drug of choice for treating most hypertensive patients.
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000367:Age Factors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use* / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009318:Natriuresis / Q000187:drug effects; D011188:Potassium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004232:Diuretics; D014280:Triglycerides; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D002784:Cholesterol; D011188:Potassium