Pharmacokinetics of hydrochlorothiazide in relation to renal function

The pharmacokinetics of hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) was investigated in 23 subjects with normal renal function or widely varying degrees of renal failure. The half-life of elimination increased from 6.4 h in subjects with normal renal function to 11.5 h in patients with mild renal impairment (endogenous creatinine clearance between 30 and 90 ml/min), and to 20.7 h in patients with an endogenous creatinine clearance below 30 ml/min. The cumulative urinary excretion and the renal HCT clearance were correspondingly reduced in patients with impaired kidney function. In normal subjects HCT was mainly excreted by tubular secretion, but as renal HCT clearance in patients with renal impairment did not differ significantly from endogenous creatinine clearance, it was concluded that the secretory mechanism is most markedly impaired. In patients with an endogenous creatinine clearance of 30 to 90 ml/min, the dosage of HCT should be reduced to 1/2 and in patients with a endogenous creatinine clearance below 30 ml/min to 1/4 of the normal daily dose to avoid dose dependant side-effects.