Thiazides are a class of drug that promote water loss from the body ((diuretics)). They inhibit Na⁺/Cl^- reabsorption from the distal convoluted tubules in the kidneys. Thiazides also cause loss of potassium and an increase in serum uric acid. The chemical structure of the original thiazide diuretics contained a thiazide ring system; the term is also used for drugs with a similar action that are not chemically thiazides, such as chorthalidone. A drug is any substance that can be used to modify a chemical process or processes in the body, for example to treat an illness, relieve a symptom, enhance a performance or ability, or to alter states of mind. ... A diuretic is any drug that tends to increase the flow of urine from the body (diuresis). ... General Name, Symbol, Number sodium, Na, 11 Series alkali metal Group, Period, Block 1 (IA), 3, s Density, Hardness 968 kg/m3, 0. ... The chloride ion is formed when the element chlorine picks up one electron to form the anion (negatively charged ion) Cl−. The salts of hydrochloric acid HCl contain chloride ions and are also called chlorides. ... Kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed The kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs in vertebrates. ... General Name, Symbol, Number potassium, K, 19 Series alkali metals Group, Period, Block 1(IA), 4, s Density, Hardness 856 kg/m3, 0. ... Blood plasma is a component of blood. ... Uric Acid Uric acid is an organic compound of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen, with the formula C5H4N4O3 It is a minor end-product of nitrogen metabolism in the human body (the main product being urea), and is found in small amounts in urine. ...

Thiazides are often used to treat hypertension. They are the recommended first-line treatment in the US ([JNC VII]) guidelines and a recommended treatment in the European ([ESC/ESH]) guidelines. They have been shown to prevent hypertension-related morbidity and mortality although the mechanism is not fully understood. They may cause vasodilation by inhibiting calcium release induced by norepinephrine. Hypertension or high blood pressure is a medical condition where the blood pressure in the arteries is chronically elevated. ... In epidemiology, the morbidity rate is a ratio that measures the incidence and prevalence of a specific disease. ... The blood vessels are part of the circulatory system and function to transport blood throughout the body. ... General Name, Symbol, Number calcium, Ca, 20 Series alkaline earth metal Group, Period, Block 2 (IIA), 4, s Density, Hardness 1550 kg/m3, 1. ... Norepinephrine, known as noradrenaline outside the USA, is a catecholamine and a phenethylamine with chemical formula C8H11NO3. ...

Side-effects can include hypokalemia, increased serum cholesterol, and impotence. The side effect of hypokalemia has motivated combining thiazides with ACE inhibitors, which also lower blood pressure but cause hyperkalemia as a side-effect. A side-effect is any effect other than an intended primary effect. ... Hypokalemia is a potentially fatal condition in which the body fails to retain sufficient potassium to maintain health. ... Cholesterol is a steroid lipid, found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. ... Impotence or, more clinically, erectile dysfunction is the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis for satisfactory sexual intercourse regardless of the capability of ejaculation. ... ACE inhibitors, or inhibitors of Angiotensin_Converting Enzyme, are a group of pharmaceuticals that are used primarily in treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure, in most cases as the drugs of first choice. ... Hyperkalemia (hyper is high, kalium is the Latin name for potassium) is an elevated blood level (above 5. ...