Turns out my doctor goofed

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More controversial than you indicate: Selected quotes from the NY Times story:

The guidelines recommend starting treatment for high blood pressure with a single pill, preferably a diuretic, and then adding other drugs if necessary. (Many patients cannot control their blood pressure with just one medicine.)

The appropriate use of inexpensive diuretics has been a focus of controversy among experts. In 2002, one of the largest federally funded clinical trials concluded that diuretics were the safest and most cost-effective therapy for high blood pressure when compared to an ACE inhibitor, a calcium-channel blocker and an alpha blocker.

An editorial accompanying the study called for a reexamination of current treatment guidelines for high blood pressure and their emphasis on thiazide-type diuretics as a first-line therapy. The guidelines should be more flexible, the editorial said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/04/health/research/04blood.html?_r=1&em

The Times recently had another article indicating that the drug companies damaged by the 2002 study's endorsement of inexpensive diuretics had found expensive and effective ways to counter the findings.

The reference to flexibility in treatment plans is some indication that different approaches may work for different patients. Some patients might have sufficient benefit from diuretics alone.

That's what a good Doctor is for, no?! If the need and response were always the same, we could prescribe for ourselves.; Posted by: Anton Philidor Posted on: 12/05/08 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use