Cheaper May Be Better at Controlling Blood Pressure

Wednesday, May 28, 2003

ROCHESTER, Minn. — If you have high blood pressure and haven't been able to manage it with lifestyle or diet changes, your doctor will likely recommend one or more medications.

For many people, the best option may be a class of antihypertensive drugs called thiazide diuretics, according to the June issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. A recent large study confirms that thiazide diuretics, also called water pills, may control hypertension effectively with a significantly reduced risk of complications. Because they are also typically much less expensive than other, newer classes of blood-pressure drugs, thiazide diuretics may be preferred as the first-line drugs to treat hypertension.

But thiazide diuretics aren't effective for everyone, and some people can't take them because of allergies or other medical reasons. There are many others to choose from, including diuretics, beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers, alpha blockers and angiotensin receptor blockers. Talk with your doctor about which blood-pressure medications would work best for you.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Carol Lammers
507-284-5037 (days)
507-284-2511(evenings)
email: newsbureau@mayo.edu

Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville
Erik Kaldor
904-953-2299

Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale
Anne Tewksbury
480-301-4368

Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news. To subscribe, please call toll free 800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.

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