With Blood Pressure, Med Timing Matters
The time of day blood pressure pills are taken could determine how effectively they work. In fact, research has found that taking hypertension medication at the proper time could dramatically decrease the risk of death, cardiovascular disease and circulatory issues. That’s right! Something as simple as changing the time of day of medication ingestion could vastly improve health outcomes and reduce the risk of illness and — most importantly, mortality.
A recent study surprised us all when it revealed that taking blood pressure meds at night could dramatically improve health outcomes and may even prolong life. Researchers found that taking hypertension medication at night resulted in better blood pressure control and a diminished risk of cardiovascular events. Here's what they revealed.
Timing Is Everything
The body has a natural rhythm. We sleep best at night, rise when the light wakes us, get hungry at predictable mealtimes and so on. Biology is pretty amazing. Cells are also on a schedule, it turns out. There are certain times of the day when they are better able to metabolize, transport and target the medications that we may be taking. In other words, the time of day we take our meds could determine how well they work and/or how potent they are.
Not all medications are as sensitive to timing as others — and in many cases, it may not matter at all. However, researchers have discovered that medications given for heart disease are extremely sensitive to timing and a new study made an important discovery toward that understanding.
An Important Blood Pressure Medication Study
The Hygia Chronotherapy Trial, involving 10,614 men and 8,470 women, showed that blood pressure medications work more effectively when taken before nighttime sleep — and this knowledge may save lives. Researchers found that when taken at night, hypertension medications are better able to lower and control blood pressure throughout the day and lower certain cardiovascular risks significantly.
Researchers found the following benefits:
- 66% lower risk of death due to heart or vascular issues.
- 49% reduced risk of stroke.
- 44% reduced risk of heart attack.
- 42% less likely to develop heart failure.
- 40% lower chance of myocardial revascularization, which requires a coronary bypass surgery or angioplasty/stent.
Researchers are not sure what the exact mechanism is that causes these benefits. However, they are clear that taking hypertension meds at night, rather than in the morning, is responsible for it.
Changing an Existing Pill Schedule
Those taking blood pressure medication should never change their pill schedule without speaking to a doctor first. It is ill-advised to skip a dose or double up on doses in the hope of getting on a bedtime schedule. Instead, speak to a doctor about the best way to make the change while preserving good health. A doctor might not advise a nighttime schedule in certain cases, or they may be completely on board, but it’s important to follow their instructions to be on the safe side.
Although there are no official guidelines that state the information, yet, taking blood pressure meds at bedtime may have many benefits. Not only might it help to control blood pressure better, but it might also help patients to experience fewer cardiac and vascular events and possibly even live longer, so it's worth asking a doctor.
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