Alpha-Methyl Dopa for the Treatment of Hypertension

Abstract

AN AGENT inhibiting chemical formation of vasopressor substances gives promise of a superior approach to the treatment of arterial hypertension. Alpha-methyl-3,4-dihydroxyl-1-phenylalanine (alpha-methyl DO- PA*), a decarboxylase inhibitor, acts at least partly in this manner.1-3 In contrast to other medications in wide use for the treatment of hypertensive vascular disease, this drug does not block transmission of autonomic impulses but lowers the concentration of norepineph- rine and serotonin in the tissues.4-6 In drugs exerting more generalized interference with autonomic functions, the side effects of con- stipation, nasal stuffiness, dry mouth, visual disturbances, and impotence have not yet been eliminated. The preliminary clinical observa- tions of Oates, Gillespie, Udenfriend, and Sjoerdsma7 established the potential value of alpha-methyl DOPA as an antihypertensive drug. Side effects commonly noted during treatment with rauwolfia alkaloids, the gan- glionic blocking drugs, and the postsympa- thetic blocking agents, did not usually accompany the use of the new drug. More extensive clinical experience reported from various centers, including our own, confirms these findings.8 14 In assessing the place of alpha-methyl DOPA as an addition to the al-