Latest Diuretic Stories

Loop diuretics, more commonly known as water pills, are the most widely prescribed heart failure medications, but few studies had extensively compared their effectiveness until Yale School of Medicine researchers examined three approved loop diuretics and found that even though one of them might offer more benefit, it is rarely prescribed. Published in the April 1 early edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the research compared the potential benefits of using one...

(Ivanhoe Newswire) – University of Cincinnati researchers have discovered a new genetic target for diuretic therapy in patients with fluid overload, such as those with congestive heart failure, liver cirrhosis or kidney failure. These results could lead to the first new diuretic therapy in 25 years and could help patients who have a diuretic resistance. Diuretics help increase urine output and help patients get rid of excess fluid when kidneys can’t perform that function. Manoocher...

An analysis of fifteen past studies has revealed that when it comes to treating high blood pressure, many people may be more likely to use certain types of medications than others, researchers say. Researchers found that, on average, people were less likely to remain on prescription diuretics than on relatively newer medications. They found that patients were most likely to stick with angiotensin II receptor blockers, or ARBs -- a group of drugs that includes names like valsartan (Diovan),...

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A new study shows there are no significant differences in how heart failure patients fare when they're given diuretic therapy in one dose or continuously.For the study, more than 300 patients with acute heart failure received furosemide (Lasix), which is the most commonly-used diuretic for heart failure. They were randomly assigned to receive the drug intravenously by a bolus every 12 hours or by a continuous infusion. Both groups received high and low doses.Results...

Expensive brand-name medications to lower blood pressure are no better at preventing cardiovascular disease than older, generic diuretics, according to new long-term data.The Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT), led by Paul Whelton, MB, MD, MSc, president and CEO of Loyola University Health System, examined the comparative value of different blood pressure-lowering medications. More than 33,000 patients with high blood pressure were randomly...

New long-term data from landmark ALLHAT studyExpensive brand-name medications to lower blood pressure are no better at preventing cardiovascular disease than older, generic diuretics, according to new long-term data from a landmark study.Paul Whelton, MB, MD, MSc, reported the results on Aug. 13 at the plenary session of the China Heart Congress and International Heart Forum in Beijing. Whelton is president and CEO of Loyola University Health System and chairman of the Antihypertensive and...

Academic detailing"”a method involving face-to-face education of clinicians by investigators trained to present trial findings and guidelines"”may have been associated with a small change in prescribing patterns for patients with high blood pressure, according to a report in the May 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals."Ensuring that important clinical trial findings are reflected in the practices of community physicians remains a substantial...

A research article to be published on August 7 , 2009 in the World Journal of Gastroenterology addresses this question. Study designed by Dr. El-Bokl and performed by Dr. Senousy and colleagues evaluated using spot urine Na/K ratio as an alternative. Forty patients with liver cirrhosis and ascites were admitted to Ain Shams University Hospital in Cairo, Egypt. The spot urine tests were compared to the standard 24-h urine collection test.Results showed adequate accuracy for the spot urine...

HOUSTON "“"“ New research supports the findings of a landmark drug comparison study published in 2002 in which a diuretic drug or "water pill" outperformed other medications for high blood pressure. A scientific team including investigators from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston reports the findings in the May 11 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.About one in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure, which, according to the National Heart...

The need to urinate two or more times each night increased the risk of death in elderly men, a study in Japan found. The researchers found that Japanese men with nocturia -- excessive nighttime urination -- had a greater risk of death than Japanese men living in similar assisted-living facilities who did not have nocturia. The geriatric assessment of 788 residents -- all 70 or older -- considered age, sex, weight, diabetes, hypertension, history of coronary heart disease, nephropathy,...