Evaluation on efficacy of Methyldopa monotherapy and combination therapy with Nifedipine in pregnancy-induced hypertension 

By Jayasutha J, Ismail A.M and Senthamarai R 

ABSTRACT

To find the effectiveness of methyldopa and methyldopa in combination with nifedipine to treat pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). A prospective study was conducted involving 105 pregnant women having PIH diagnosed after 20 weeks of gestation between May 2009 and Jan 2010. Patients were divided into two groups according to severity of the disease, Group 1 contains 55 patients (mild hypertension) and Group 2 contains 50 patients (moderate to severe hypertension). Group 1 was treated with methyldopa and Group 2 was treated with methyldopa and nifedipine. On treatment with methyldopa, the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were found to decrease from 150.6 ± 6.9 to 121.2 ± 6.29 and 96 ± 6.21 to 82 ± 7.14 respectively. For the group of patients treated with methyldopa and nifedipine, the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were changed from 170.5 ± 17.4 to 126 ± 8.83 and 112.5 ± 11.05 to 85 ± 6.88 respectively. Methyldopa was effective in controlling mild pregnancy induced hypertension and methyldopa with nifedipine as a combination was effective in controlling moderate to severe hypertension of both preeclampsia and pregnancy induced hypertension patients.

Keywords: Pregnancy-induced hypertension; Methyldopa; Nifedipine. 

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