whether hydrochlorothiazide should be used first-line for hypertension

March 2011

There's new controversy about whether hydrochlorothiazide should be used first-line for hypertension.

Hydrochlorothiazide is the most commonly used antihypertensive...but most patients get just 12.5 to 25 mg/day to limit side effects.

Now new evidence suggests that these LOW doses reduce ambulatory BP less than ACEIs, ARBs, calcium channel blockers, or beta-blockers.

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Table of Contents

Testosterone More men will ask about testosterone replacement therapy
Cardiology whether hydrochlorothiazide should be used first-line for hypertension
Osteoporosis Many patients on chronic corticosteroids aren't getting the therapy they need to prevent osteoporosis and fractures
Antithrombotics whether dabigatran (Pradaxa) can be used instead of heparins (Lovenox, etc) for warfarin bridge therapy
Antithrombotics some patients might not benefit from Pradaxa (dabigatran) if it's stored improperly at home
Migraine adequate prophylaxis for migraines
Women's Health whether oral contraceptives are safe and effective in obese women
Interactions whether it's safe to combine a calcium channel blocker with a macrolide antibiotic
Pediatrics when to use antibiotics for acute otitis media in children
OTC Products requests to write prescriptions for OTC meds so they can be paid for with health savings accounts (HSAs)
Infectious Diseases methicillin-resistant Staph aureus (MRSA) infections in hospitalized patients
Substance Use Disorder The latest craze is using "bath salts" to get high
STIs new drug options and doses for treating sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in CDC's new guidelines