Micronutrient Losses in Patients Receiving Diuretic Pharmacotherapy for the Reduction of Hypertension

DESPITE MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to dominate the spotlight as one of the nation’s top killers, claiming 950,000 lives a year, and 260 billion dollars annually in health care costs. A long list of risk factors contribute to the disease’s extremely variable etiology (Table 1). Obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, sedentary lifestyle, poor nutrition, smoking, and alcohol intake are a few of the modifiable factors toward which therapies have been aimed. Standard treatment protocols include lifestyle and dietary changes, exercise implementation, and pharmacotherapy.