Health
ALLHAT findings on diuretics
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Feb. 18, 2008
New research shows that diuretics provide the greatest protection against cardiovascular disease among people who have hypertension associated with metabolic syndrome. The study also supports evidence that low-cost diuretics are a good option for initial blood-pressure lowering among black patients with metabolic syndrome.
The findings, in the Jan. 28 Archives of Internal Medicine, are from the federally funded ALLHAT, Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial. The trial is the largest to compare a diuretic with the three newer classes of medication, a calcium channel blocker, an alpha-blocker and an ACE inhibitor.
Physicians frequently prescribe one of the new drugs, said Elizabeth Nabel, MD, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. "However, this new analysis shows that diuretics are better at preventing cardiovascular disease and thus does not support the selection of the newer drugs over diuretics for preventing poor health outcomes related to hypertension or for lowering high blood pressure."
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/02/18/hlbf0218.htm.
