Diuretics as Monotherapy or as Part of Combination Therapy for Hypertension: An Update

At a meeting of The American Society of Hypertension in May 2008, a panel was convened to discuss the use of diuretics. Are they still preferred initial therapy, are they still the preferred agent to add in combination therapy, and is there a difference between or among the diuretics that have been used in the clinical trials? The session was moderated by Marvin Moser, MD, of the Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Participants included Domenic Sica, MD, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA; William Cushman, MD, University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN; and Ken Jamerson, MD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.