Treatment of hypertension with antihypertensive diuretic drugs

Abstract

The (1) mercurial diuretics, (2) benzothiadiazine and phthalimidine diuretics, (3) carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, (4) aldosterone antagonists, and (5) unsaturated ketone derivatives of the aryloxyacetic (phenoxyacetic) acid diuretics are the diuretic drugs which have been used in the treatment of hypertension. The physiologic mechanisms involved in sodium chloride transport, sodium-for-hydrogen exchange, sodium-for-potassium exchange, and water reabsorption by the kidney have been described and related to the action of the antihypertensive diuretic drugs. The two groups of drugs which are employed frequently at present are the benzothiadiazine and phthalimidine diuretics and the aldosterone antagonists. Of these groups, it appears that the aldosterone antagonists (spironolactone), which have few side effects and significant antihypertensive activity have, therefore, some advantages over the benzothiadiazine and phthalimidine diuretics in the treatment of hypertension.