Long-term treatment of hypertension with methyldopa. IV. Duration of methyldopa therapy.

Methyldopa was administered for an average of 3 years to 435 patients with essential hypertension who were included in this retrospective survey. In 73% of patients, methyldopa was added to prior diuretic therapy, and in 19%, methyldopa and a diuretic were started concurrently. The remaining patients (8%) started treatment with methyldopa alone. After the initiation of methyldopa administration, a diuretic and/or additional antihypertensive agent(s) was included in the treatment regimen of 167 (38%) of the 435 patients. Treatment was interrupted in 147 patients - 14 (3%) because of lack of response, 73 (17%) with adverse effects, and 60 (14%) because of other or unknown reasons. Two-thirds of the patients treated had been receiving methyldopa continuously up to the time these data were collected in early 1979.