Scientists reveal best time to take high blood pressure tablets

Scientists have confirmed the best time to take blood pressure medication after conducting extensive research.

The team carrying out the analysis say they have found “conclusive evidence” that taking your blood pressure tablets in the evening is no more beneficial than having them in the morning to protect against heart attack, stroke, heart failure or death . This means that you should simply take your medicine when it suits you.

The findings from the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2024 used date from five trials involving nearly 47,000 patients. Professor Ricky Turgeon from the University of British Columbia in Canada, said: “Patients should take their once-daily BP-lowering medications at whatever time best suits their preferences and circumstances.”

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One in three adults in suffer from hypertension or high blood pressure . The condition is the third biggest risk factor for all diseases in the UK following smoking and poor diet. Medication for high blood pressure can help to prevent complications including heart disease, stroke, and kidney problems.

Experts have previously claimed that people should take their medicine in the evening as night-time blood pressure is a better predictor of heart disease than daytime blood pressure.

Professor Turgeon said previous studies into BP medications at night have shown mixed results. The team analysed data from five trials, comparing night-time and morning administration of all BP-lowering medications.

Prof Turgeon said the team “concluded that the timing of dosing does not affect outcomes”. The timing of when the medication was taken also had no impact on secondary events such as fractures, glaucoma and thinking and memory.

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Professor Turgeon added: “These results reinforce a key message that patients should take their blood pressure tablets at a time when they are most likely to remember. The specific timing doesn’t matter, whether it is in the morning or the evening, what matters is that they take the medication every day."

He concluded: “By bringing together large amounts of data from tens of thousands of trial participants, these important results should now put the question of when is best to take blood pressure medication to bed.”