Diuretic

<p>A&nbsp;<b >diuretic</b>&nbsp;provides a means of&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_diuresis" title="Forced diuresis" >forced diuresis</a>&nbsp;which elevates the rate of&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urination" title="Urination" >urination</a>. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.</p>

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In&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine" title="Medicine" >medicine</a>, diuretics are used to treat&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_failure" title="Heart failure" >heart failure</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver_cirrhosis" title="Liver cirrhosis" class="mw-redirect" >liver cirrhosis</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertension" title="Hypertension" >hypertension</a>&nbsp;and certain&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney_disease" title="Kidney disease" class="mw-redirect" >kidney diseases</a>. Some diuretics, such as&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetazolamide" title="Acetazolamide" >acetazolamide</a>, help to make the&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine" title="Urine" >urine</a>&nbsp;more <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline" title="Alkaline" class="mw-redirect" >alkaline</a>&nbsp;and are helpful in increasing excretion of substances such as&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin" title="Aspirin" >aspirin</a>&nbsp;in cases of&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_overdose" title="Drug overdose" >overdose</a>&nbsp;or poisoning.&nbsp;</p>

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Diuretics are often abused by sufferers of&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_disorder" title="Eating disorder" >eating disorders</a>, especially&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulimic" title="Bulimic" class="mw-redirect" >bulimics</a>, in attempts at weight loss.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diuretic#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup></p>

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The antihypertensive actions of some diuretics (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thiazide" title="Thiazide" >thiazides</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loop_diuretic" title="Loop diuretic" >loop diuretics</a>&nbsp;in particular) are independent of their diuretic&nbsp;

effect. That is, the reduction in blood pressure is not due to decreased blood volume resulting from increased urine production, but occurs through other mechanisms and at lower doses than that required to produce diuresis.&nbsp;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indapamide" title="Indapamide" >Indapamide</a>was specifically designed with this in mind, and has a larger therapeutic window for hypertension (without pronounced diuresis) than most other diuretics.</p>