According to Rajiv Agarwal, MD, Chlorthalidone was found to help decrease blood pressure in those with severe kidney disease.
The study named Chlorthalidone in Chronic Kidney Disease (CLICK) was presented as part of a news conference and High Impact Clinical Trials session at the recent international meeting of the American Society of Nephrology and was simultaneously published in the respected New England Journal of Medicine.
Low-Cost Medication Treats High BP In Advanced Renal Disease
As per the medical parameters, it is necessary to keep the blood pressure under check while the patient struggles against other medical conditions such as renal disorders.
The blood pressure can be checked with the help of medicines which are also not costly, and hence the patient can get recovery in a definite health condition. The low medicine cost can help the patients not only in terms of money but also for massive changes and control on blood pressure, especially in the cases of people who suffer from high blood pressure.
Because of its high incidence and associated cardiovascular illness and chronic renal disease, hypertension is a major worldwide health concern. Hypertension is the most common preventable cause of mortality and disability around the world. According to previous research, hypertension affected 26.4 percent of the global adult population in 2000, or 972 million people.
“Kidneys are key regulators of blood pressure. When an individual has chronic kidney disease, the kidneys are unable to control blood pressure,” said Agarwal. “If a person suffers from chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure, it is more likely their kidney disease will advance even further and lead to other health issues such as heart failure.”
According to national reports, the prevalence of hypertension has been rising in low- and middle-income nations since 2000, while it has remained stable or decreased in high-income countries. These findings point to a global health imbalance in the prevalence of hypertension.
To better understand this critical public health concern, current estimates of the global burden of hypertension in high-income, low-income, and middle-income nations are needed.
Patients with stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: placebo or chlorthalidone at a dose of 12.5 mg daily in the CLICK Study. For patients in the chlorthalidone group, the dose was increased every four weeks if necessary, up to a maximum of 50 mg per day.
The goal of the trial was to investigate if blood pressure in patients on chlorthalidone dropped from baseline to twelve weeks when measured using cutting-edge equipment called a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitor.
Treatment and control of hypertension are crucial for avoiding cardiovascular and renal illness. Many countries have reported varying levels of hypertension awareness, treatment, and management. These statistics have not been thoroughly evaluated to offer pooled estimates in world regions with varying levels of economic development.
The CLICK trial found that chlorthalidone reduced blood pressure by 11 mm Hg after 12 weeks, compared to a 0.5 mm Hg reduction with a placebo. There was a 50% reduction in albuminuria, a protein seen in the urine of kidney disease patients, which Agarwal describes as extraordinary and shows that chlorthalidone has the potential to slow the progression of renal failure and reduce hospitalizations for heart failure in these patients.
“These results show chlorthalidone is a low-cost solution for the treatment of hypertension in people with chronic kidney disease, ” said Agarwal.” These are people who are already taking a variety of medicines, so to have one that is cheap and effective is incredibly meaningful. However, the drug is potent, so the lowest therapeutic dose and careful monitoring are needed to avoid complications.”
