OBJECTIVES: To examine: (1) in how many treated hypertensive patients it was possible to discontinue drug treatment; (2) the time-course for redevelopment of hypertension after discontinuation of therapy; and (3) whether drug withdrawal was associated with an increase in left ventricular mass (LVM). DESIGN: Fifty-four men with primary hypertension treated for a mean period of 6 years (primarily beta 1-selective beta-blockade) were evaluated for withdrawal of treatment. Exclusion criteria were signs of organ damage, severe hypertension, other serious disease and unwillingness. Treatment was reinstituted if blood pressure increased above a safety level or if symptoms occurred. Echocardiographic estimations of LVM were obtained before withdrawal and 1, 4 and 8 weeks after withdrawal or before return to treatment. SETTING: Outpatient clinic in a city hospital. PATIENTS: A random sample of 56-year-old hypertensive men. INTERVENTION: Gradual discontinuation of treatment with close follow-up of blood pressure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of patients who could withdraw from treatment and who had to return to pharmacological therapy; time-courses for development of hypertension; absolute changes in LVM. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients withdrew from treatment for 1-1000 days. Therapy was reinstituted in all owing to hypertension or symptoms. Serial echocardiograms were obtained in 22 patients. During the drug-free period, relative wall thickness increased, but LVM did not. Patients with rapid redevelopment of hypertension had larger prewithdrawal LVM than patients whose blood pressure increased more slowly. CONCLUSION: It was possible to withdraw treatment and obtain readable echocardiograms in a minority of the patients. After drug-withdrawal, relative wall thickness increased, but not LVM. We suggest that previously treated patients should be avoided in studies examining reversal of left ventricular hypertrophy.
OBJECTIVES: To examine: (1) in how many treated hypertensivepatients it was possible to discontinue drug treatment; (2) the time-course for redevelopment of hypertension after discontinuation of therapy; and (3) whether drug withdrawal was associated with an increase in left ventricular mass (LVM). DESIGN: Fifty-four men with primary hypertension treated for a mean period of 6 years (primarily beta 1-selective beta-blockade) were evaluated for withdrawal of treatment. Exclusion criteria were signs of organ damage, severe hypertension, other serious disease and unwillingness. Treatment was reinstituted if blood pressure increased above a safety level or if symptoms occurred. Echocardiographic estimations of LVM were obtained before withdrawal and 1, 4 and 8 weeks after withdrawal or before return to treatment. SETTING:Outpatient clinic in a city hospital. PATIENTS: A random sample of 56-year-old hypertensivemen. INTERVENTION: Gradual discontinuation of treatment with close follow-up of blood pressure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of patients who could withdraw from treatment and who had to return to pharmacological therapy; time-courses for development of hypertension; absolute changes in LVM. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients withdrew from treatment for 1-1000 days. Therapy was reinstituted in all owing to hypertension or symptoms. Serial echocardiograms were obtained in 22 patients. During the drug-free period, relative wall thickness increased, but LVM did not. Patients with rapid redevelopment of hypertension had larger prewithdrawal LVM than patients whose blood pressure increased more slowly. CONCLUSION: It was possible to withdraw treatment and obtain readable echocardiograms in a minority of the patients. After drug-withdrawal, relative wall thickness increased, but not LVM. We suggest that previously treated patients should be avoided in studies examining reversal of left ventricular hypertrophy.