Blood pressure lowering medication effective at any time of day

 

Previous research has suggested that blood pressure lowering medication may be more effective if taken in the evening. But now, a large clinical trial has shown that the time of day the medication is taken has no impact on its effectiveness. 

 

Professor Tom Macdonald, Clinical Professor at the University of Dundee and lead investigator of the study, said that based on these results people can be advised that “they may take their blood pressure lowering medications at a time of day that is convenient and that minimises any undesirable effects.”   

 

There are as many as 100,000 hospital admissions due to heart attacks and more than 100,000 strokes every year in the UK. High blood pressure is associated with around 50 per cent of these. Blood pressure lowering medications are among the most widely prescribed in the UK, with between seven and nine million people taking them to reduce their risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases.  

The Treatment in Morning versus Evening (TIME) involved over 20,000 people taking at least one medication to lower their blood pressure. Half were asked to take their medication in the evening and the other half were asked to take it in the morning.  

 

The researchers then followed the people in the trial for an average of five years to see whether there was a difference in the number of people who experienced a heart attack or stroke, or who died due to heart and circulatory diseases between the two groups.  

 

They found that there was no difference in the number of people who had a heart attack, stroke or died between the two groups - 362 in the morning group versus 390 in the evening. 

 

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, our Medical Director , said: 

 

“This is important news for the millions of people in the UK who take medication to lower their blood pressure.  

 

“High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. We know that effective treatment with blood pressure lowering medication is vital to reduce this risk. These results show that the time of the day people take their blood pressure tablets does not matter and they should take them at the time that suits them best".