(ReutersHealth.com) —The world’s most popular blood pressure medicine is much less effective than comparable drugs and gives patients a false sense of security, researchers said Monday.
In a review of earlier studies, they found the drug, a diuretic, or “water pill,” called hydrochlorothiazide, lowered blood pressure by only about half as much as common alternatives such as beta blockers and ACE inhibitors.
High blood pressure affects about a third of U.S. adults, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and ups the risk of heart attack and stroke when left unchecked.
“By giving hydrochlorothiazide we give patients and physicians a false sense of security,” said study researcher Dr. Franz Messerli, who heads the hypertension program at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York.
“Hydrochlorothiazide should no longer be used alone,” he urged, adding that he has been prescribing it to patients himself for the past 25 years.
The drug belongs to an older group of water pills called thiazides, which are sold as generics for a few dollars per month. It is also sold as Aquazide H and HydroDIURIL, among other brand names.
(5 votes, average: 4.40 out of 5)
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This drug is POISON to me. Effects: EXTREME fatigue, to the point of not being able to move upon wakening. HORRIBLE, nasty stuff. Beware!