Potassium conservation with amiloride/hydrochlorothiazide ("Moduret') in thiazide-induced hypokalaemia in...

A double-blind study was carried out in 24 hypertensive patients with thiazide-induced hypokalaemia (serum potassium less than 3.2 mmol/l) to compare the effects of treatment with an amiloride/hydrochlorothiazide combination or hydrochlorothiazide alone. The study was divided into three phases: (i) potassium repletion (Weeks 0 to 4) with oral potassium chloride (40 mmol/day), (ii) stabilization (Weeks 4 to 6) of normokalaemia, and (iii) active drug treatment (Weeks 6 to 14), patients being allocated at random to receive one or other of the two treatments. Dosage was 2 tablets per day of the 5 mg amiloride plus 50 mg hydrochlorothiazide combination or of 50 mg hydrochlorothiazide alone. The results showed that blood pressure control was comparable in both treatment groups but hydrochlorothiazide alone caused a statistically significant reduction in serum potassium levels compared to the drug combination. Apart from 1 patient who developed hypokalaemia on hydrochlorothiazide alone, no other side-effects of treatment were reported.