In the morning or in the evening? Study reveals best time to take blood pressure-lowering

People with hypertension usually have to take medication daily. These hold the values throughout the day and also at night lower. A Spanish research team led by Ramón Hermida of the University of Vigo has now investigated in the framework of the research project “Hygia” at over forty medical centers in Spain, when blood should be taken pressure medication best. Other factors such as age, Diabetes, kidney disease, Smoking, and cholesterol values were calculated. The results, published in the “European Heart Journal”.

Lower risk, if the blood pressure-lowering in the evening

Of the over 19,000 study participants with high blood pressure the half took the medication in the evening, the other after Waking up. In the middle six years of verified Doctors at least once in a year, the blood pressure of the subjects with blood pressure measuring devices, which kept the patient over 48 hours on the body. This showed that the group that took their medication in the evening, achieved better values. The average blood pressure during the day and at night was in this group are low and the values fell off during sleep stronger.

The researchers also found that the evening medication was reduced by disease in the Mediterranean, the risk of serious consequence. Vessels these include deaths due to cardiovascular diseases and heart attacks, strokes, and interventions due to clogged blood. 1752 patients in the study suffered such a serious cardiovascular event. The risk to die was higher in the group that took their medication in the evening, almost half as low.

Blood pressure varies throughout the day

The blood pressure is subject to in the course of a day, regular fluctuations, the so-called circadian rhythm. In the morning and in the afternoon are usually measured with particularly high values during sleep, the blood pressure drops, usually below 120 mmHg. The first author Ramón Hermida sees this as a reason for incorrect intake times: “the fact That Doctors often advise to the morning dose, based on the misguided goal of the morning blood pressure lowering.”

Previous studies have already shown that serious diseases such as stroke or heart attack, especially with higher nocturnal values in the context. This, the authors of the study are confirmed now. “As a result, Around-the-clock blood pressure measurements are recommended, to diagnose the real arterial hypertension and the risk of such a disease is to assess,” says Hermida.

The researchers suggest limiting the fact that the study was conducted with people who adhere to a regulated day-Wake rhythm. The results could therefore make no statement about how people should be treated, the work, for example, in the layer service. In General, it is important to clarify the Situation for each patient individually.

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