title: Sudden cardiac death in patients with hypertension. An association with diuretics and beta-blockers?
abstract: The cornerstones of current antihypertensive treatment are diuretics and beta-blockers and the efficacy of these drugs in preventing cardiovascular disease is undisputed. This article focuses on the effect of these 2 drug classes on the incidence of sudden death. Numerous studies have shown that thiazide diuretics have a strong, dosage-dependent potassium-depleting effect, and it has been postulated that this may explain why the reduction in risk of coronary heart disease, observed in hypertension trials, was less pronounced than expected. In 7 trials that included sudden death as an end-point; a pooled risk-ratio of sudden death of 1.5 (95% confidence interval 1.1 to 2.0) was observed when non-potassium-sparing diuretics were compared with placebo. Two recent case-control studies have also strongly indicated that the use of thiazides increases the risk of sudden death. Evidence from trials using potassium-sparing diuretic combinations suggests that these may be better tolerated than thiazide monotherapy. Although it was suggested in the 2 recent case-control studies that recipients of beta-blockers are also at an increased risk of sudden death, further studies are required to confirm this finding, particularly since these drugs have several well-documented cardioprotective effects.
authors.affiliation: Julius Center for Patient-Oriented Research, Utrecht University/Academic Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands. A.W.Hoes@med.ruu.nl
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Hoes
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Grobbee
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lubsen
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001581:Benzothiadiazines; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004232:Diuretics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011188:Potassium / Q000652:urine; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D049993:Sodium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D001581:Benzothiadiazines; D004232:Diuretics; D049993:Sodium Chloride Symporter Inhibitors; D011188:Potassium