Diuretics May Help Stop Strokes

CHICAGO-Some of the oldest drugs used to control high blood pressure, may be the most effective method of preventing strokes.

New research from the University of Washington and Utrecht Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the Netherlands shows those who did not use a diuretic to control blood pressure were 40% more likely to have a stroke.

Doctors often recommend diuretics because they flush excess sodium and water from the body. Other treatments, such as beta blockers and calcium antagonists, can be more expensive.

The researchers theorized the diuretics may be more effective that other drugs in lowering systolic blood pressure. Research has shown that high systolic blood pressure is the most prevalent cause of strokes.

Information from the Associated Press