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Chlorthalidone

Diureticprescriptionoral · inferred

Thiazide-like diuretic with markedly longer half-life (~40-60 hours) than hydrochlorothiazide (6-15 hours) due to large volume of distribution and significant partitioning into red blood cells with backleak into plasma. Approximately 1.5-2x more potent than HCTZ. Used for hypertension and edema. ALLHAT trial showed chlorthalidone reduced cardiovascular events vs amlodipine and lisinopril. Allows once-daily dosing with sustained effect.

Projected serum levels — 25 mg, once daily

Chlorthalidone
Chlorthalidone modeled serum levels, 25 mg once daily over 16 days Population-based pharmacokinetic estimate. Steady state reached after approximately 6 days. 0 12.5 25 37.5 50 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 12 Day 16 Time on a regular schedule ≈ steady state · day 6
Chlorthalidone modeled serum levels with a loading dose of 75 mg, then 25 mg once daily The first dose is larger so levels approach steady state faster. 0 12.5 25 37.5 50 Day 0 Day 4 Day 8 Day 12 Day 16 Time on a regular schedule

Maintenance schedule: 25 mg once daily (oral).

Loading schedule: 75 mg on day 1, then 25 mg once daily — reaching therapeutic levels sooner.

Modeled steady state after ~6 days: peak ≈ 47.4 mg, trough ≈ 36.3 mg body load. Population-based estimate over 16 days for a 25 mg dose at a 70 kg reference body mass — the interactive app scales curves to your doses, timing, and body mass.

Key facts

Category
Diuretic
Route modeled
Oral
Model confidence
inferred
Half-life
45 h
Common dose
25 mg
Suggested maximum
100 mg/day
Reference dose range
12.5–100 mg (single dose)
Suggested cadence
once daily
Validated against
50 mg oral — Cmax 1.5 mg/L at 8 h

Documented interactions

Serum checks 3 modeled interaction pairings for chlorthalidone across your whole stack — absorption conflicts, enzyme inhibition, and nutrient depletion included.

Research behind this entry

  1. Major outcomes in high-risk hypertensive patients randomized to ACE inhibitor or calcium channel blocker vs diuretic (ALLHAT) ALLHAT Officers and Coordinators · JAMA, 2002 DOI

    Landmark hypertension trial (33,357 patients) establishing thiazide-type diuretics (chlorthalidone) as preferred first-line therapy with superior cardiovascular outcomes vs amlodipine and lisinopril over 4.9-year…

  2. Hydrochlorothiazide versus chlorthalidone: evidence supporting their interchangeability Carter BL et al. · Hypertension, 2004 DOI

    Comparative review demonstrating chlorthalidone superior BP reduction vs HCTZ despite similar mechanisms; longer half-life of 45-60 hours vs 6-15 hours explains enhanced and more sustained diuretic effect.

  3. Chlorthalidone versus hydrochlorothiazide: cardiovascular and metabolic implications Bakris GL et al. · American Journal of Hypertension, 2012 DOI

    Meta-analysis of trials comparing chlorthalidone with HCTZ, showing chlorthalidone provides superior BP control and reduced cardiovascular events, supporting preference in resistant hypertension.

3 published studies referenced in the app, each with a plain-language summary.