Clonidine Therapy for Hypertension

Standard Dosing and Administration

• The American College of Cardiology recommends dosing clonidine twice daily (0.1-0.8 mg/day range) for chronic management of hypertension 1, 2, 3

Positioning in Treatment Algorithm

• The American College of Cardiology suggests that clonidine is not recommended as first-line therapy due to significant CNS adverse effects, especially in older adults 1, 2, 3
• Clonidine is reserved as a last-line agent for hypertension, added only after failure of other medications 4, 6

Critical Safety Considerations

• Gradual tapering over at least 2-4 days is mandatory when stopping clonidine therapy to avoid rebound hypertensive crisis 5