The Best Time to Take Blood Pressure Medicines

According to the American Heart Association more than 50 million people in this country suffer from high blood pressure and only two thirds of them are aware of it. High blood pressure disorder is called hypertension and can create serious and life threatening problems with the body's organs if it is not controlled. People with high blood pressure are more prone to strokes, heart attacks and kidney failure. While hypertension is a lifelong condition it can be managed with daily medication. Because hypertension usually has no symptoms people forget to take the medication or they fail to stick to a medication regime. It is important to take the medication at the same time each day to receive the maximum benefit from it.

Features

• The ADA recommends maintaining a blood pressure reading no higher than 120/80 whenever possible. People with slightly elevated blood pressure can sometimes lower it through lifestyle changes including diet, exercise and stress reduction, however, if these measures do not work or the blood pressure reading is very high, medication is introduced.
  A recent study out of China indicates that the time of day people take their blood pressure medication can impact the effectiveness of that medication as well as reduce the side effects associated with that medication.

Benefits

• Doctors recommend that people on high blood pressure medications take it at the same time each day so that there is always a consistent level of medication in the blood stream. In addition, getting into the habit of taking the medication at the same time each day provides a regular routine which can help prevent skipped doses.

Why

• People without blood pressure problems have a dip in their blood pressure at night when they are sleeping. That dip can be 20 to 30 points which gives their arteries a rest and does not contribute to wearing them out as quickly. A study in Italy recently concluded people with very high blood pressure readings do not have that dip at night, and instead their blood pressure remains high 24 hours a day, putting them at a higher risk of health issues related to hypertension.
  Study participants switched to a nighttime dose of their blood pressure medication for 2 months and 90 percent of the participants began having 7 point decrease in blood pressure readings at night and also avoided a spike during the daytime hours.

Added Benefit

• In addition to the blood pressure reading improvements, the study also showed an improvement in patient kidney function. According to a published report in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases, blood pressure dropped an average of 7 points, without side effects or increase in daytime blood pressure.

  The article detailed findings that 60 percent of African Americans with high blood pressure do not have a natural nighttime dipping and 40 percent of those patients actually have an increase in blood pressure during the night.
  The American Heart Association recommends taking doses throughout the day so that the body has a constant delivery of medication thereby preventing unhealthy spikes in blood pressure readings which can be hard for the body's organs to process.

Potential

• If you take more than one medication per day your doctor may agree to let you take some of them at bedtime and others in the morning. It has been proven that blood pressure spikes naturally in the first hours after waking up, which is why more strokes and heart attacks happen in the morning hours than at any other time. With the new evidence in about the lack of reduced blood pressure dipping at night for many people with high blood pressure, it becomes a catch 22 on whether one should take the medications at night or in the morning.
  The American Heart Association recommends asking your doctor if you can split the medications up, taking some of them each bedtime and some each morning.

Warning

• There are some medications that should not be switched suddenly, and medication regimes are also built around your lifestyle and other needs, therefore it is important to check with your doctor before attempting to make any changes in your medication schedule.