Skip to main content

Difference between Loop and Thiazide Diuretics in Calcium Metabolism

Loop and thiazide diuretics have common clinical uses like in the treatment of hypertension, heart failure, edema, etc. But they have different actions in calcium excretion or retention.



Loop Diuretics like Furosemide, Torsemide work by inhibiting Na+/K+/2CL- transporter in the thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle. Inhibition of this co-transporter causes loss of sodium, potassium into the urine, and drives loss of water. It also results in loss of lumen positive potential and decreases reabsorption of divalent ions like calcium. Thus there is increased loss of calcium in the urine.

  •    Thus loop diuretics can be used in the treatment of hypercalcemia. 
  •    But they increase the chances of developing kidney stones.



Thiazide diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide work by inhibiting NaCl transport in the early segment of DCT. Thus reduce intracellular sodium and increase the exchange of sodium and chloride in the basolateral membrane. Thus they increase calcium resorption and thus decrease calcium content in the urine. 

  •     Thus thiazides have the opposite effect and can be used in the prevention of renal stones.
The picture below helps medical students easily remember the effects of loop and thiazides in body calcium and its implications.


This article is about easy to understand, retain, and recall medical info and mnemonics for medicine learners.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Different types of Heart Murmurs with Sound

ⒸPathologynuggets. Notes to review for medical students, residents, and doctors  Hello! welcome to our new blog post on cardiac murmurs. In this blog post about heart murmurs, we review the most common types of heart murmurs. Murmur is the sound of blood flowing abnormally through the heart valves and most often signs of valve disorders. If you are new to the blog, don't forget to show your support by like and subscribe. Read till the end of the blog for some bonus tips! Now let's continue our review. Normal heart sounds consist of sounds S1 and S2. S1 represents closure of mitral valve and tricuspid valves at the beginning of systole. S2 represents the closure of aortic and pulmonic valves at beginning of diastole. Thus, the interval between s1 and s2 represents systole, and in this interval systolic murmurs are heard Similarly, diastolic murmurs are heard at the interval between s2 and s1. So, what are the most common types of heart murmurs? For easy understanding, we can di

Pancreatic Carcinoma Summary Notes

  ⒸPathologynuggets.blogspot.com Notes to review for medical students, residents, and doctors. Risk Factors: Diabetes mellitus, Chronic pancreatitis, Hereditary Pancreatitis, Cigarette Smoking Courvoisier Sign of Pancreatic Cancer: Pancreatic cancer has jaundice which is painless, and gallbladder is palpable below right costal margin. Trousseau Sign of Pancreatic Carcinoma: It is associated with recurrent migratory thrombophlebitis. Other findings suggestive of this cancer are: weight loss, anorexia, dull abdominal pain which is worse at night. Other important associations include new onset Diabetes Mellitus  and non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis . Diagnosis: Imaging by Ultrasonography or CT scan is test of choice. CT Scan shows "double-duct sign". Definitive diagnosis is by biopsy and histologic examination. If these tests are inconclusive, Endoscopic ultrasound or ERCP with brushings/biopsy for histopathology can be done. Role of CA 19-9 in pancreatic cancer: It does

Diffuse Axonal Injury --- A quick review of high yield points

Diffuse axonal injury is a type of brain injury caused by trauma in cases of sudden acceleration-deceleration. It is commonly seen in cases of high-speed vehicle accidents.  Which areas of the brain are affected by this type of injury? It mostly affects the areas where brain matter density difference is maximum. Therefore, the most commonly affected areas are gray-white junctions. It affects white matter nerve fiber tracts in these regions. Clinical Findings: Although the findings can vary from insignificant to comatose state, most cases are classified as severe with a GCS score of less than 8. Symptoms include  headache,  dizziness,  nausea, vomiting,  loss of consciousness, etc File :  Compare SWI and GRE Trauma.png Source: Karen Tong Author: SBarnes CC  Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported Diagnosis: Diffuse axonal injury is diagnosed clinically. The clinical findings in these patients are out of proportion to CT Imaging findings. The patient is unconscious and may even go into a ve