Metabolic Consequences of Long-Term Thiazide-Based Antihypertensive Treatment of Renal Hypertension

In 72 outpatients with early stage disease and mild to moderate hypertension, metabolic parameters were evaluated before and during 6 years of treatment with two different thiazide diuretic-based antihypertensive therapy regimens. Compared to the untreated state, chronic diuretic treatment caused a persisting increase in serum lipids in men or post-menopausal women. The high incidence of electrocardiographic abnormalities indicative of ischemic changes suggests a possible negative influence of diuretic-induced metabolic alterations on coronary heart disease in these patients.