Diuretics in Hypertension

Excerpt

To the editor: I would appreciate it if Dr. Frohlich could document his suggestion (Ann Intern Med 78: 717-723, 1973) that the "loop of Henle" diuretics may be more effective than the thiazides in the management of hypertension in patients with renal functional impairment. I am not aware of any studies substantiating this statement; to the contrary, Dr. Anderson and his colleagues (Q J Med 40:541-560, 1971) concluded that the thiazides were twice as effective as "frusemide" (furosemide) in the treatment of hypertension. The loop diuretics are more expensive and potentially more harmful than the thiazides.