OBJECTIVE: The Joint National Committee (JNC) on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure V (1993) and VI (1997) recommended diuretics and beta-blockers as initial antihypertensive drugs. However, a few studies have shown a trend of the increasing use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs), and the decreasing use of diuretics and beta-blockers. Hypertension is one of the most common reasons for patients to use clinic visits. The purpose of the study was to assess the association between the different patterns of antihypertensive drug use and the number of clinic visits for essential hypertension. METHOD: Poisson regression model was employed to assess the association between the different patterns of antihypertensive drug use and the number of clinic visits by using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS, 1996), after controlling for confounding variables. The study population enrolled was estimated 10,357,769 non-institutionalized adult US patients with essential hypertension. RESULTS: Patients with diuretics or beta-blockers had fewer clinic visits, compared to patients with ACEIs or CCBs (p<0.01). Patients in good physical health had fewer clinic visits, compared with patients in fair or poor physical health (p<0.05). Other significant explanatory variables include census region and limitations in daily life activities. CONCLUSION: Patients using ACEIs or CCBs, which were not recommended by the current JNC guidelines had more clinic visits. This association needs to be concerned in the management of hypertension.