A new 17-year study from Columbia University gives us a better understanding of two common medicines used to treat high blood pressure: chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide.
These drugs are often prescribed to help prevent serious heart problems like heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
Both medicines work well to lower blood pressure, but this large study found important differences in their safety. This means that one drug may be a better choice than the other for some people.
In the study, researchers looked at the health records of over 730,000 people who were treated for high blood pressure. They found that chlorthalidone, while effective, was more likely to cause serious side effects than hydrochlorothiazide.
The main concern was a condition called hypokalemia. This happens when the level of potassium in the blood drops too low. Potassium is a mineral that helps your body work properly, especially your heart.
Low potassium can cause dangerous problems like irregular heartbeats, confusion, and kidney issues. It may also raise the chance of getting type 2 diabetes.
The numbers were clear. About 6.3% of the people taking chlorthalidone had low potassium levels, while only 1.9% of those taking hydrochlorothiazide did. That means the risk was about three times higher with chlorthalidone, even when used in smaller amounts.
The researchers also found that people taking chlorthalidone were more likely to have problems with their electrolytes and kidneys. Electrolytes are minerals like potassium and sodium that keep your heart and muscles working properly. If they are out of balance, it can lead to serious problems like heart rhythm changes or kidney damage.
These results suggest that hydrochlorothiazide might be the safer choice for many patients. This is important because doctors often choose chlorthalidone first based on current treatment guidelines. But with this new information, doctors may want to rethink that approach—especially for patients who are more likely to have side effects.
If you take medicine for high blood pressure, this study shows how important it is to check in with your doctor regularly. If you are taking chlorthalidone, your doctor might want to check your potassium and kidney function more often to make sure everything is okay.
High blood pressure is a serious condition that affects millions of people. If not treated, it can cause major problems like heart disease, strokes, and kidney failure. The good news is that it can often be managed with the right medicine, healthy habits, and regular doctor visits.
Lifestyle changes are also a big part of managing high blood pressure. Eating more fruits and vegetables, cutting back on salt, staying active, drinking less alcohol, and not smoking can all help. Reducing stress by doing things like walking, deep breathing, or meditation can also make a difference.
This new research reminds us that choosing the right blood pressure medicine is not just about lowering the numbers. It’s also about making sure the treatment is safe. As more studies like this are done, doctors will have better information to help patients stay healthy.
The study was led by George Hripcsak and his team and was published in JAMA Internal Medicine. It’s another step forward in helping people with high blood pressure live longer, healthier lives.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more health information, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
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