A new study has found that a small change in routine could make a big difference for people with high blood pressure.
Researchers from the University of Vigo and other institutions discovered that taking blood pressure medicine before going to bed, instead of in the morning, can help control blood pressure better and reduce the risk of serious heart problems.
The study followed more than 19,000 people over a long period of time. These participants were asked to take their blood pressure medication either when they woke up or at bedtime.
The researchers then tracked them for more than six years. Each year, they checked the patients’ blood pressure over 48-hour periods. This helped them see how the timing of medication affected long-term heart health.
The results were very clear. People who took their medication at night had much better outcomes than those who took it in the morning. In fact, their risk of having or dying from heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, or needing artery procedures was 45% lower.
Looking at the numbers more closely, taking medicine at bedtime lowered the risk of dying from heart or blood vessel problems by 66%.
It also reduced the chance of having a heart attack by 44%, needing a procedure to open blocked arteries by 40%, getting heart failure by 42%, and having a stroke by 49%. These numbers show a strong link between bedtime medication and better heart health.
Until now, most doctors have told patients to take blood pressure medicine in the morning. This is based on the idea that morning blood pressure levels are important to control. But this study shows that the blood pressure level during sleep might be a better sign of future heart risk.
In fact, the researchers from the Hygia Project say that nighttime blood pressure is a more important predictor of heart disease than blood pressure measured during the day or at the doctor’s office.
There are no strong studies that show taking medicine in the morning is better than taking it at night. This new research challenges old ideas and offers a simple way to help people live longer and healthier lives.
The study was led by Ramón C. Hermida and published in the European Heart Journal. It offers new hope for people with high blood pressure. Just by switching the time they take their medicine—from morning to bedtime—they can greatly lower their risk of life-threatening heart problems.
This discovery could change the way high blood pressure is treated and make it easier for people to protect their hearts.
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