title: Placebo substitution for methyldopa in geriatric hypertensive patients.
abstract: The aim of this study was to obtain an objective evaluation of the possibly inappropriate antihypertensive therapy of elderly patients; this was done by means of placebo substitution for methyldopa, one of the drugs taken by all the participating patients. Forty patients were recruited from a hospital outpatient clinic and randomly allocated to two groups. One group remained on treatment which included methyldopa, while a matching placebo tablet was substituted in the other group. The study was conducted over a period of 6 months in a single-blind manner. Methyldopa was reintroduced in the placebo group when one of the evaluation clauses was recorded. Only 2 patients in the placebo group required reintroduction of methyldopa tablets. In the rest of this group there was no significant difference between systolic and diastolic pressures before and after 6 months of placebo substitution. Withdrawal of unnecessary antihypertensive therapy in the elderly should be considered. Patients must be observed carefully and therapy reintroduced when blood pressures rise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, University of Pretoria.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Blom
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sommers
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008750:Methyldopa / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D016037:Single-Blind Method
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D008750:Methyldopa