Depressive Reactions in Hypertensive Patients

Abstract

A review was made of 387 resident patients with arterial hypertension who were treated at the Mayo Clinic during the years 1954 and 1955. Of 202 patients who were treated with some form of Rauwolfia serpentina, 53 (26%) experienced a depressive reaction. This was moderately severe or severe in 21 persons (10%). In contrast a comparable control group of 185 hypertensive patients who received no antihypertensive medication produced only 9 instances (5%) of depression with 6 (3%) being classed as moderately severe or severe. Depression occurred in more than half of those persons who had a history of depression prior to beginning treatment with Rauwolfia and in almost a 1/4 of the patients without such a history. The dose of Rauwolfia tolerated by different individuals varied, but no depressions were observed in patients taking less than 0.2 mg of reserpine daily. Although 32 (60%) of the 53 depressive reactions occurred within the first 6 months after treatment with Rauwolfia was begun, 6 (11%) came on after 1 year of treatment.