This advice might change next week, but FWIW…

“High blood pressure patients are being urged to take their medication before going to bed to slash their risk of an early death.

A study found adults with hypertension were less likely to suffer heart attacks, heart disease or strokes, if they took the drugs in one go at bedtime.

Spanish scientists looked at more than 19,000 patients on medication for high blood pressure, who were tracked for an average of six years.

Half of the volunteers were asked to take their entire dose of drugs at bedtime, while the others took theirs in the morning.

Results showed people who took them in the evening had a 44 per cent lower risk of a heart attack and 66 per cent lower risk of dying from heart disease.

They also were half as likely to suffer a stroke, according to the research team from the University of Vigo, on the west coast of Spain…”

https://mol.im/a/7597233

Well, bugger. I just took mine.

quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:
Well, bugger. I just took mine.

Me, too.

Ok, I'll take 'em in the evening, at bedtime, then.

I take mine in the morning. Will check with my Dr. about the correct time to take them.

I didn't even know Spain had scientists.

quote:

Originally posted by molachi:
I take mine in the morning. Will check with my Dr. about the correct time to take them.

I think I'll do the same. I'm due for an appointment anyway.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
A study found adults with hypertension were less likely to suffer heart attacks, heart disease or strokes, if they took the drugs in one go at bedtime.
https://mol.im/a/7597233

Fine! What about controlling your blood pressure?

I tried taking my BP meds before going to bed, long before reading about this research, thinking that it would be the best opportunity for my meds to do their stuff. However, I found that taking my BP meds before going to bed had very little affect on controlling my BP as compared to taking my BP meds during the day.

I haven't discussed this with my doctor, but I will the next time I see him.

This is generally true, but check with your doctor. I would not want to take HCTZ, a diuretic before bed.

quote:

Originally posted by Bassamatic:

I didn't even know Spain had scientists.

Oh, yes! I spent a year and a half on a transfer-of-technology assignment in Barcelona.

My Spanish peers, the engineers on the project, were amazing. These guys raced through technical manuals that were written in English, German, Russian, etc., and translated needed sections from the non-English manuals for me.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

“High blood pressure patients are being urged to take their medication before going to bed to slash their risk of an early death.

A study found adults with hypertension were less likely to suffer heart attacks, heart disease or strokes, if they took the drugs in one go at bedtime.

My prescription calls for two daily doses; I take them at 7:00 am and 7:00 pm, it's easy to remember them that way.

I'll ask the doc, next time I see him, if I should move the evening dose to just before bed time.

Good; I've been taking mine before I go to bed for some time now.

quote:

Originally posted by ggile:
Fine! What about controlling your blood pressure?

I tried taking my BP meds before going to bed, long before reading about this research, thinking that it would be the best opportunity for my meds to do their stuff. However, I found that taking my BP meds before going to bed had very little affect on controlling my BP as compared to taking my BP meds during the day.

I think they are asserting that lowering at night is more important than lowering it during the day.

Well, one is a diuretic. Taken before bed time means up a couple of times to go.

Maybe I’ll do diuretic in the AM, orthers in the PM.

Heard back from my cardiologist's nurse yesterday. She said the BP medicine I take (metoprolol) can be taken either morning or evening, doesn't matter. So I will continue taking in the morning rather than changing.

Blood pressure has a diurnal variation. Higher in morning than in the evening. 24 hour blood pressure monitoring is a definite way to find out the best time for you to take blood pressure drugs. It is rather uncomfortable, but would provide an answer for a particular individual.

My face is too puffy in the morning if I take BP meds (Amlodipine) before I go to bed.

Many of the BP meds are 24 hr. extended release meds that keep the level of medication at a steady level for the 24 hr period. You definitely do not want to take your diuretic at bedtime......if you want to get any sleep.


This is just one study.......I don't plan on making any changes to my routine...YMMV

I have always taken my BP meds in the morning, but I guess I will change it.

Back when I was doing national heart disease prevention guideline development for a large multi specialty group, I was following the work being done in Spain on this issue. At that time it was interesting, but lacked the definitive evidence of a randomized controlled trial with hard clinical endpoints. This study now adds that; I suspect future guidelines by American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, etc. will incorporate this recommendation.

sjtill,

In your opinion, is the benefit of lower nocturnal BP due to resting the heart, “healing” the arterial walls, or something else?