Water pills increase diabetes risk in major study

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Water pills increase diabetes risk in major study

Last Updated: 2004-05-21 16:32:56 -0400 (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a major study of blood pressure drugs,

patients treated with water pills, or " diuretics, " were at increased

risk of developing diabetes, according to research presented here at the

annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Hypertension.

But Dr. Barzilay, from Emory University in Atlanta, said that the

increase in diabetes did not translate into an increased risk of heart

attack or stroke.

In the 42,000-patient study, known as ALLHAT, researchers compared four

types of blood pressure drugs: a diuretic, an alpha-blocker, a calcium

channel blocker, and an ACE inhibitor.

After two years of treatment, 9.3 percent of patients who received a

diuretic called Hygroton (chlorthalidone) developed diabetes. In

contrast, with the other drugs no more than 7 percent of patients

developed diabetes. By 4 years, the difference was still apparent.

Barzilay suggested that further studies might be able to determine if

costs are increased because those patients who develop diabetes need

further treatments.

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org