What do beta-blockers primarily counteract when combined with Thiazides?

What do beta-blockers primarily counteract when combined with Thiazides?

• A. Excessive water loss
• B. Salt/water retention
• C. Hypotension
• D. Vasodilation

Answer: (B)

Beta-blockers primarily counteract salt and water retention when combined with thiazides. Thiazide diuretics work by promoting the excretion of sodium and water from the kidneys, which effectively lowers blood pressure. However, one of the side effects of thiazides is that they can sometimes lead to a compensatory increase in renin activity, which may cause the body to retain salt and water, undermining the desired anti-hypertensive effect. When beta-blockers are used alongside thiazides, they help mitigate this salt and water retention. They do so by blocking the beta-adrenergic receptors, which in turn reduces the secretion of renin from the kidneys. By lowering renin levels, beta-blockers help to counteract the tendency for sodium and water retention induced by thiazides, thus enhancing the overall anti-hypertensive effect of the combination therapy. In this context, the other choices do not directly address the primary effect that beta-blockers exert in combination with thiazides. Excessive water loss is often a concern with diuretics, but that is not what beta-blockers mitigate. Hypotension can also occur with either medication on their own; however, that is not the primary interaction between

Beta-blockers primarily counteract salt and water retention when combined with thiazides. Thiazide diuretics work by promoting the excretion of sodium and water from the kidneys, which effectively lowers blood pressure. However, one of the side effects of thiazides is that they can sometimes lead to a compensatory increase in renin activity, which may cause the body to retain salt and water, undermining the desired anti-hypertensive effect.

When beta-blockers are used alongside thiazides, they help mitigate this salt and water retention. They do so by blocking the beta-adrenergic receptors, which in turn reduces the secretion of renin from the kidneys. By lowering renin levels, beta-blockers help to counteract the tendency for sodium and water retention induced by thiazides, thus enhancing the overall anti-hypertensive effect of the combination therapy.

In this context, the other choices do not directly address the primary effect that beta-blockers exert in combination with thiazides. Excessive water loss is often a concern with diuretics, but that is not what beta-blockers mitigate. Hypotension can also occur with either medication on their own; however, that is not the primary interaction between