High blood pressure affects hundreds of millions of people around the world. It increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and other serious health problems.
Because it often causes no clear symptoms for many years, it is sometimes called the “silent killer.”
Doctors usually recommend controlling high blood pressure with medicine, a healthy diet, regular exercise, and other lifestyle changes. Now, a large study suggests that the time of day you take your medicine could also make a big difference.
The research was led by Professor Ramón C. Hermida from the University of Vigo in Spain and was published in the European Heart Journal.
It was part of the Hygia Project, a long-term research program that examines how blood pressure changes throughout the day and night.
For many years, many people were told to take their blood pressure medicine in the morning. This advice was based on the fact that blood pressure often rises after waking up. However, researchers have learned that blood pressure during sleep may be just as important, or even more important, for long-term heart health.
To test this idea, the research team followed more than 19,000 adults with high blood pressure. The participants were randomly placed into two groups. One group took their medicine after waking up, while the other group took it just before going to bed.
The scientists tracked the participants for more than six years. During the study, they regularly measured blood pressure using 48-hour ambulatory monitoring. This device records blood pressure while people carry out normal daily activities and while they sleep, giving a much clearer picture than a single reading in a doctor’s office.
The results were impressive. People who took their medicine at bedtime had a 45% lower risk of major heart and blood vessel problems than those who took it in the morning. These problems included heart attack, stroke, heart failure, or procedures to open blocked arteries.
The researchers also found that the bedtime group had about a 66% lower risk of dying from heart or blood vessel disease. The risk of heart attack fell by about 44%, heart failure by about 42%, stroke by about 49%, and the need for artery-opening procedures by about 40%.
The researchers believe the benefits are linked to the body’s natural daily clock. In healthy people, blood pressure normally drops during sleep, allowing the heart and blood vessels to rest. Many people with high blood pressure do not experience this normal drop, leaving their heart under extra strain throughout the night.
Taking medicine before bedtime may help control blood pressure during sleep and restore a healthier daily pattern. The study also suggests that nighttime blood pressure may predict future heart disease better than daytime readings taken during routine medical visits.
The findings are encouraging, but they do not mean everyone should immediately switch to taking their medicine at night. Different medicines and medical conditions require different treatment plans. Anyone thinking about changing the time they take their blood pressure medicine should first speak with their doctor.
This study shows that even a small change in daily routine may improve heart health for some people. As researchers continue studying the body’s natural rhythms, doctors may discover even better ways to match treatments with the body’s internal clock and further reduce the risk of heart disease.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that drinking tea could help lower blood pressure, and early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
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