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Because blood pressure level follows a daily rhythm, timing of medication tin greatly impact its effectiveness. Getty Images
  • New research suggests that taking your blood pressure medication at bedtime may more effectively reduce your risk of illness or expiry due to eye and claret vessel disease.
  • Timing of medication is of import because claret pressure level follows a daily rhythm. Information technology rises higher during the solar day and falls at night when we sleep.
  • Rather than taking a blanket approach, experts say whatever medication regimen should be personalized for you based on a discussion with your physician.

Should yous be taking your blood pressure medication at bedtime rather than in the morning?

Inquiry published in the October 22, 2019, consequence of the European Heart Journal suggests that maybe y'all should.

In the study, the researchers followed 19,084 patients with high blood pressure for a median of 6 years.

The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: those who took their blood pressure medication in the morning and those who took it at bedtime.

The researchers found that bedtime medication seemed to brand a divergence for patients as they had improve nighttime blood pressure.

They also had less risk of illness or expiry due to center and blood vessel affliction.

According to AARP, claret pressure follows a daily rhythm. It rises higher during the twenty-four hour period and falls at dark when we sleep.

Since morning blood pressure is usually highest, people often opt to take their medications and so. Many also experience that it is easier to remember morn medications.

Likewise, since many medications cause urination, people may prefer to take them early on in the day.

Every bit nosotros age, however, nosotros may develop a blood pressure pattern called non-dipping. Not-dipping blood pressure tends to remain high overnight.

People ages 55 and older with high blood pressure are more prone to non-dipping.

Non-dipping blood pressure is a problem because it is a major risk factor for several weather, including middle attack, stroke, and kidney affliction.

Overnight blood pressure control is important in order to lower your risk.

If your medication wears off earlier your next dose is due, your claret force per unit area may be elevated for several hours while you sleep. You may besides wake with high blood pressure.

Taking your medication at bedtime may help preclude this upshot.

While it is generally believed that nighttime blood pressure medications are helpful for those with non-dipping blood force per unit area, this new written report seems to indicate that it might exist helpful in more than effectively lowering claret pressure for a broader range of people.

Dr. Kim Williams, the head of the division of cardiology at Rush University Medical Middle and past president of the American College of Cardiology, says he feels it'southward likewise soon to begin recommending that all patients have their medications at bedtime.

"We need more information from other centers every bit much of the data favoring this come from a small-scale fix of investigators. Other trials and experience are not as strikingly positive," he noted.

Williams added, "Speculation would concord that this is a skillful idea when the patient is known to accept nocturnal hypertension simply these authors suggest that information technology works for all comers. We clearly need more information."

Dr. Satjit Bhusri, assistant professor of cardiology at Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, besides felt that it should not exist a blanket recommendation for all patients.

There are many factors to consider, he says, such every bit:

  • Practice y'all have large swings in your blood pressure?
  • Are you lot consistent and regular in taking your medication?
  • What other medications are you taking?

Your medication regimen should be personalized for y'all based upon a word with your physician, says Bhusri.

However, Dr. Ragavendra Baliga, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, takes a somewhat different view.

"Yes, I would recommend bedtime administration of BP meds based on this report and others cited in this article because of the significant survival do good," he said.

"In my opinion this is peculiarly true in those patients with high BMI (and consequently more likely to take obstructive sleep apnea), elderly (since they have more than insomnia), diabetics, and those with chronic kidney disease," Baliga added.

Bhusri feels the key to controlling your blood pressure is your routine.

If your routine helps yous take your medications regularly and consistently, so they will be more constructive in controlling your claret pressure.

"It is well known that meds that are prescribed to accept at night have a higher rate of consistency," said Bhusri. "That is, fewer medicines are forgotten, and a more regular steady country of the medicine is in the patient'south system.

"Worse than persistent elevated pressure level," added Bhusri, "is labile loftier blood pressure. That is, swings in claret pressure level for not adhering to the regimen."

Bhusri believes that improve compliance may have been the reason that the patients in the study had better claret pressure command.

However, Williams adds farther advice, saying, "The master message of our blood force per unit area therapy in our recent American College of Cardiology hypertension guidelines is to adopt lifestyle changes and then that you don't need claret pressure therapy.

Amidst their recommendations, says Williams, are:

  • Terminate smoking.
  • Reduce alcohol intake.
  • Practise regularly (over 150 minutes per week).
  • Reduce excess weight.
  • Reduce sodium.
  • Increment potassium.
  • Consume a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, basics, seeds, and legumes.

Baliga besides supports these lifestyle changes, adding to the list practiced sleep hygiene as well as an assessment for sleep apnea for at-chance patients.

New enquiry suggests that taking blood pressure level medication at bedtime may more effectively reduce your run a risk of illness or expiry due to center and claret vessel disease.

Timing of medication is of import because blood pressure typically follows a daily rhythm. It often rises higher during the 24-hour interval and falls at night when we sleep.

Rather than taking a coating approach to treatment, many experts say any medication regimen should exist personalized for you based on a discussion with your physician.

Taking your medication regularly and making lifestyle changes can also accept a large impact on managing your blood pressure.