Researchers from the University of Vigo and other institutions have discovered a simple yet effective way for people with high blood pressure to manage their condition better.
They found that taking blood pressure medication at bedtime, instead of in the morning, can lead to better-controlled blood pressure and significantly lower the risk of heart-related diseases and death.
This study is notable for its large scale and long duration. It included 19,084 patients who were asked to take their blood pressure pills either when they woke up or before going to bed.
The researchers monitored these patients for an average of over six years, checking their blood pressure for 48 hours at least once a year. This long-term approach provided a detailed understanding of how the timing of medication affects heart health.
The results were impressive. Patients who took their medication at bedtime had a 45% lower risk of experiencing or dying from heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, or needing a procedure to open blocked arteries compared to those who took their medication in the morning.
Specifically, the study found that taking medication at bedtime resulted in a 66% lower risk of death from heart or blood vessel problems, a 44% reduction in the risk of heart attacks, a 40% lower risk of needing coronary revascularization (a procedure to unblock arteries), a 42% reduction in heart failure cases, and a 49% decrease in the likelihood of strokes.
These findings challenge current medical guidelines for treating high blood pressure, which usually do not specify an optimal time for taking medication.
The common practice has been to take medication in the morning to reduce morning blood pressure levels. However, this study suggests that focusing on morning blood pressure might not be the best approach.
The Hygia Project, part of this research, highlighted that the average systolic blood pressure during sleep is a more important and independent predictor of cardiovascular disease risk than blood pressure readings taken while awake or at the doctor’s office.
Furthermore, no existing studies show that taking hypertension medication in the morning is more effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
This new research, led by Ramón C. Hermida and published in the European Heart Journal, suggests that taking medication at bedtime could be a more effective strategy.
This discovery opens up a new and simple way to improve the health outcomes of people with high blood pressure. By just changing the time they take their medication to bedtime, patients can significantly reduce their risk of serious heart-related events and death.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and eating eggs in a healthy diet may reduce risks of diabetes, high blood pressure.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing 12 foods that lower blood pressure.
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