A large study from the University of Vigo in Spain has found that taking blood pressure medicine at night may be much better for your heart than taking it in the morning.
This simple change could help lower your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and even death.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, happens when the force of blood against your arteries stays too high for too long. It’s a major cause of heart disease, stroke, and other serious health problems. Most people know that taking medicine helps control blood pressure, but this study shows that when you take it matters, too.
In this study, more than 19,000 people with high blood pressure took part. They were split into two groups. One group took their medicine in the morning, as most doctors usually recommend. The other group took their medicine at bedtime.
The researchers kept track of their health for over six years. Every year, the participants had their blood pressure checked over a 48-hour period to see how well it was controlled.
The results were very clear. People who took their medication at night had much better health outcomes. Compared to the morning group, those who took their pills at bedtime had a 66% lower risk of dying from heart-related problems.
They also had a 44% lower risk of heart attacks, 49% lower risk of strokes, 42% lower risk of heart failure, and 40% lower risk of needing surgery to open blocked arteries.
Why does taking medicine at night help so much? It turns out that our bodies go through important changes while we sleep. Blood pressure normally drops at night, and the medicine seems to help support that drop and keep it at a healthy level.
This nighttime drop is a strong sign of heart health. In fact, earlier research from the same team showed that blood pressure during sleep is a better predictor of heart problems than blood pressure during the day or at a doctor’s office.
For many years, doctors have told people to take their blood pressure medicine in the morning to control daytime blood pressure spikes. But this new research suggests that treating nighttime blood pressure may be even more important for protecting the heart.
Another key point is that there’s no proof that taking the medicine in the morning helps lower the risk of heart problems. So it may be time to change how we think about treatment.
Despite these findings, most health guidelines still don’t say when to take the medicine. The researchers, led by Ramón C. Hermida, hope their study will change that and help doctors and patients consider nighttime treatment as a better option.
This study, published in the European Heart Journal, shows that something as simple as changing the time you take your pill could save lives. If you have high blood pressure, it may be worth talking to your doctor about whether taking your medicine at night could be right for you.
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