What is the right time to take blood pressure medicine?

Taking blood pressure (BP) medication in the evening is no better than taking it in the morning to prevent heart attack, stroke, heart failure or death, a study has found.

The findings, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2024, are based on data from five trials involving nearly 47,000 patients.

Ricky Turgeon, a professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada, says patients should take once-daily blood pressure-lowering medications at any time according to their preferences and circumstances.

One in three adults in the UK has high blood pressure. It is the third biggest risk factor for all diseases in the UK after smoking and poor diet.

Although high blood pressure may not cause symptoms, taking medication can help prevent complications such as heart disease, stroke and kidney problems.

They work in different ways to lower blood pressure by targeting different parts of the cardiovascular system.

To find out more, the team of researchers analyzed data from five trials, which compared all BP-lowering drugs at night and in the morning.

Professor Tarjan said the team concluded that the timing of the dose did not affect the results.