A new study suggests that people should often take blood pressure medication at bedtime because they better control blood pressure. Many people with high blood pressure take their medication in the morning, noted the researchers in The European Heart Journal.
According to the study, taking these drugs in the night reduced the risk of developing serious diseases caused by high blood pressure, by almost half. According to the German News Agency, people with high blood pressure often have to take drugs on daily basis to lower blood pressure day and night.
As part of the Hygia project involving over 40 medical centers in Spain, a team of researchers led by Professor Ramon Hermida, from the University of Vigo, tried to figure out the most appropriate time to take these medications.
More than 19,000 patients participated in the study, half of whom received blood pressure medications at bedtime. Doctors monitored the blood pressure of these patients for six years, at least once a year, using blood pressure monitors that patients had placed on their bodies for 48 hours. They found that the group who took their drugs in the night achieved better results in lowering blood pressure.
Also, night drug use prevented patients from serious illnesses caused by high blood pressure, such as cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and cases of cerebral palsy, all of which can lead to death, or require surgery to expand the blocked blood vessels.
