Authors: Ernst ME, Gordon JA
Diuretics are a heterogeneous class of drugs of tremendous importance in both the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and renal disease. Used as antihypertensives, diuretic-based therapy to lower blood pressure reduces cardiovascular events. In addition to their role as preventive agents, diuretics are critical to the management of several commonly encountered edematous conditions, including chronic kidney disease and the nephrotic syndrome. Because a threshold amount of diuretic is necessary to elicit the intended natriuretic effect, alterations in the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters occurring in the presence of a variety of renal conditions necessitate careful dose titrations and adjustment. Higher doses or more frequent administrati...