Retaining water can leave you feeling bloated and uncomfortable. However, it can also carry health risks involving the formation of clots. Clots form to prevent excess loss of blood due to injury. They may also form in the body due to other health conditions. Diuretics provide an effective treatment for some causes of fluid accumulation and may help prevent clot formation by releasing pressure within the blood vessels. Diuretics are often prescribed as the first course of treatment for high blood pressure.
What Is a Diuretic?
A diuretic or water pill enhances the body's ability to excrete excess water. One of the results is a lower blood volume due to the release of water. This action can lower blood pressure, making it a preventive agent against potentially deadly clots. Several types of prescription diuretics are available. Some beverages are also natural diuretics, including tea and coffee. The effects are the same although the precise mechanism may vary.
Clot Formation
Clots may form due to hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis. If you eat a diet high in saturated fats, this can lead to a narrowing of the arteries. The effects are twofold. The narrowed diameter of blood vessels can increase blood pressure, making the heart work harder to pump blood through the circulatory system. The increased pressure can also heighten the risk for a clot to break off and clog a blood vessel. The clot can cause a stroke or heart attack.
Treating Edema
Edema describes a condition where excess fluid accumulates in the body. Some medications may cause edema, as can pregnancy or excess salt consumption. This effect can set the stage for the formation of a clot. The Mayo Clinic warns that if edema is left untreated it can result in decreased elasticity of the blood vessels. As with atherosclerosis, the risk for a clot to travel and clog another blood vessel increases with the heightened pressure within the veins and arteries. Diuretics are often prescribed to help relieve this pressure as well as identifying and treating the underlying cause of fluid accumulation.
Epinephrine and Clots
While effective for treating high blood pressure, some diuretics also show another beneficial use for preventing clots. A 2010 study by the Department of Clinical Investigations in California found that a type of diuretic called chlorthalidone reduced clot formation due to epinephrine or adrenaline. Epinephrine is released during stressful or fight-or-flight responses, and it raises blood pressure. Some diuretics can reduce these effects by inhibiting epinephrine. Researchers observed that these effects were independent of the impacts on blood pressure, involving different body mechanisms. These findings show that diuretics are not all the same.
References
- "Principles of Anatomy and Physiology"; G. Tortora et al; 2005
- National Institutes of Health; High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need To Know; June 2005
- Mayo Clinic; Edema - Complications; October 13, 2009
- Mayo Clinic; Edema - Treatments and Drugs; October 13, 2009
- "Hypertension"; Chlorthalidone decreases platelet aggregation and vascular permeability and promotes angiogenesis; R. Woodman, et al.; September 2010
