[Diuretic monotherapy in heart failure. Comparison of piretanide and hydrochlorothiazide-triamterene].

The effects of piretanide and a hydrochlorothiazide (HCT)-triamterene combination were compared in an open, controlled, randomised study on two groups of 15 patients, aged 42-74 years, with congestive heart failure (NYHA II-III). Weight loss was significant in both groups (P less than 0.05). At the end of the 14 day investigation ten patients from the piretanide group but only four patients from the HCT-triamterene group were fully recompensated. The left ventricular end-systolic and end-diastolic diameters were significantly less under piretanide (P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.01, respectively) than under HCT-triamterene. The shortening fraction and the circumferential velocity of shortening under piretanide increased by 25% over the initial value (P less than 0.001) whereas HCT-triamterene produced no change. A small but statistically significant (P less than 0.05) fall in serum potassium as well as a rise in urinary potassium, sodium and chloride concentration occurred with piretanide.