Staying Healthy
What you need to know about: Diuretics
Diuretics are usually prescribed as a first-line treatment for high blood pressure, though many people require additional drugs for blood pressure management, such as beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs). Diuretics help lower blood pressure by reducing the amount of sodium and water in the body—the lower the volume of fluid in the bloodstream, the less pressure there is on the walls of the arteries. They're also prescribed for kidney disorders, liver disease, and fluid retention caused by heart failure.
There are three main types of diuretics
So how do you know which is right for you?
Cardiologist Dr. Thomas Lee, co-editor in chief of the Harvard Heart Letter, says he starts most diuretic therapies with 12.5 milligrams of a thiazide diuretic. "It's unlikely to cause potassium or other problems. If I have to go up to get good blood pressure control, I am more likely to go to a combination with one of the potassium-sparing drugs. I don't use furosemide for blood pressure because it doesn't last long," he explains.
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