title: Sustained normotension in hypertensive patients withdrawn from medication for 1 year.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Prior research indicates that up to 5% of hypertensive subjects can be successfully withdrawn from antihypertensive medications. This study determined if, in a family practice setting, greater than 5% of patients with mild essential hypertension could be withdrawn from their antihypertensive medication for more than 1 year and remain normotensive.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 116 randomly chosen volunteer patients. Of these, 96% were white, and 58% were female. The mean age was 57, and the mean history of hypertension was 10.1 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 81 subjects completed the study; 46.9% of those 81 remained normotensive for 1 year after stopping medication. Females tended to do better than males at withdrawing from antihypertensives (58% versus 33%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proportion of patients who successfully withdrew from antihypertensive medication for 1 year and remained normotensive was significantly greater than expected. Further studies are needed to identify factors that predict which patients will remain normotensive without medication.
authors.affiliation: Westside Family Medical Center, Kalamazoo, Mich., USA.
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Ruoff
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents