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Summary
A study was carried out in 18 hypertensive patients, 10 with left ventricular hypertrophy, to investigate the effect of long-term treatment with methyldopa (750 mg to 3 g daily for 6 months) on left ventricular function. Patients with coronary artery disease were excluded. Sustained isometric hand grip and cold pressor tests were used to increase afterload, and changes in left ventricular function were monitored with radionuclide angiography. The results showed that, in addition to producing significant reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, the reduction in the left ventricular ejection fraction which occurred during the provocative tests in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy was either controlled or attenuated after methyldopa treatment.