By Christian Duffin
Advising patients to take blood pressure-lowering medications at bedtime significantly reduces their risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke, and brings better blood pressure control when compared with morning medication.
A prospective, randomised controlled trial in randomised 448 hypertensive patients with type two diabetes into one of two groups, one taking medications in the morning, and the other taking them at bedtime.
After a median follow-up of 5.4 years, patients taking one or more medications at bedtime showed a 33% lower risk of cardiovascular problems. The adjusted risk of major events – cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke – was also significantly lower, by 25%.
Study leader Dr Ramón Hermida, director of the bioengineering and chronobiology laboratories at the University of Vigo, Spain, said: 'Our findings document that a bedtime schedule with one or more blood pressure–lowering medications, in comparison with a schedule in which all such medications are ingested upon awakening, not only improves blood pressure control…but significantly reduces CVD risk.'
Diabetes Care June 2011 vol. 34 (6): 1270-1276
Taking medication at night improves blood pressure control
