Trace Elements in Serum and Urine From Hypertensive Patients Treated for Six Months With Chlorthalidone

Urinary excretion and serum concentration of antimony, arsenic, bromine, cadmium, caesium, cobalt, copper, gold, iron, mercury, molybdenum, rubidium, scandium, silver, tungsten and zinc from 6 hypertensive patients before and after 6 months' treatment with chlorthalidone have been investigated. The method consisted in neutron activation analysis combined with a recently developed ion exchange technique. A previously observed increase in urinary excretion of bromine, cadmium, cobalt, rubidium and zinc after short‐term treatment with chlorthalidone was also present after long‐term treatment with regard to rubidium and zinc and possibly also to bromine, cadmium and cobalt. A significantly lowered concentration in serum after long‐term treatment was found only for rubidium.