A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers -- for example, 120/80. The top number is known as the systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number is the diastolic blood pressure. High blood pressure is defined as an average blood pressure higher than 140/90, with multiple blood pressure readings.

 

Based on clinical studies, spironolactone has been shown to significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. By lowering blood pressure, spironolactone can decrease the risk of developing health problems (such as a stroke, heart disease, or congestive heart failure) that occur with long-term high blood pressure (see Effects of High Blood Pressure). Spironolactone is not a cure for high blood pressure.

One common cause of water retention is congestive heart failure (CHF). Congestive heart failure is a condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood throughout the body. It does not mean that your heart has stopped or is about to stop working. It means that your heart is not able to pump blood the way that it should. This can lead to symptoms of CHF that include shortness of breath; swelling of the feet, ankles, or lower legs; and rapid weight gain (see Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure for more information). Spironolactone can help with water retention by helping the body get rid of the extra fluid. Spironolactone does not cure congestive heart failure.

 

Water retention can be caused by other conditions, such as cirrhosis of the liver or kidney disease. Spironolactone is effective for treating water retention due to these causes. The medicine is also approved to treat a special kind of water retention called ascites. Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity and is usually the result of liver disease.