Clonidine in hypertension: a 6-year review

A study of the use of clonidine in the treatment of patients with hypertension, both in hospital and in the community, during a period of 6 years is reported. Seventy-eight patients (42 males and 36 females) with hypertension were studied during this period both in terms of their immediate response to introduction of clonidine and also the effect of maintenance treatment for periods varying between 2 and 6 years. During the period of study, the hypertension was well controlled in 51 (65.4%) patients. In the remaining 27 patients, clonidine treatment was stopped for a variety of reasons but, despite this, the drug provided effective treatment for period of up to 4 years. Nineteen patients died in the course of the study, but in all these cases the blood pressure remained under adequate control. The clinical response to treatment and the incidence of side-effects are described.