When You Take Your Blood Pressure Meds Isn’t Important
Do you take your blood pressure medications in the morning or evening? Apparently, it doesn’t matter. In 2010, researchers found that taking blood pressure medications at bedtime resulted in better blood pressure control and a lower risk of cardiovascular complications and mortality. But that may not be the case after all—at least, not for everyone. A study of more than 21,000 patients presented at the European Society of Cardiology meeting in August 2022 found no difference in the rate of heart attack, stroke, heart failure hospitalization or death, cardiovascular death or all-cause death between participants who took their meds in the morning and those who took them in the evening. Nor did the timing make a difference in the rate of falls and fractures. The finding, said the researchers, does not mean that the timing is unimportant for everyone, since certain individuals—for example, those whose blood pressure rises at night—may benefit from evening dosing.
