A new study from the University of Vigo in Spain has found that people with high blood pressure might live longer and stay healthier if they take their medicine at night instead of in the morning.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a very common health problem. It means the blood in your body pushes too hard against the walls of your blood vessels.
Over time, this pressure can damage your heart and blood vessels, and lead to serious problems like heart attacks, strokes, or heart failure. Millions of people around the world have high blood pressure, and many take medicine to help lower it. But doctors have usually told patients to take their pills in the morning.
This new study suggests that might not be the best advice.
Researchers looked at 19,000 people who had high blood pressure. These people were split into two groups. One group took their blood pressure medicine in the morning when they woke up. The other group took their pills at bedtime. Then, the scientists followed them for more than six years to see what happened to their health.
Every year, the researchers checked the participants’ blood pressure over a full 48-hour period. This helped them get a clear picture of how their blood pressure changed during both day and night. Over time, the results showed something very important.
The people who took their medicine at night had much better outcomes than those who took it in the morning. They were almost half as likely to suffer or die from serious heart problems.
More specifically, people who took their pills before bed had a 66% lower risk of dying from heart or blood vessel problems, a 44% lower risk of having a heart attack, a 49% lower risk of having a stroke, a 42% lower risk of developing heart failure, and a 40% lower chance of needing surgery to open blocked arteries.
Why would taking medicine at night help so much? The researchers believe it’s because blood pressure during sleep is very important for heart health. Earlier studies from this same research group found that nighttime blood pressure is a better way to tell if someone is at risk of heart disease than daytime readings or blood pressure taken at the doctor’s office.
When people take their medicine at bedtime, the drugs can work while they sleep, keeping their blood pressure steady at night—when their heart and blood vessels are supposed to rest and recover.
This study is part of a larger project called the Hygia Project, which aims to learn more about how the body’s internal clock (called the circadian rhythm) affects blood pressure and heart health. The lead researcher, Ramón C. Hermida, hopes that their findings will help doctors give better advice to their patients.
Right now, most medical guidelines don’t say whether people should take their blood pressure medicine in the morning or at night. But based on this new evidence, it might be time to make a change.
If you take medicine for high blood pressure, it’s worth asking your doctor whether switching to bedtime might be better for you. It’s a small change—but it could make a big difference in protecting your heart.
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