When to take antihypertensive drugs

Hypertension is a very common chronic disease in my country. Generally speaking, for people around 50 years old, diastolic blood pressure tends to decrease with age, while pulse pressure tends to increase. The early symptoms of hypertension include dizziness and fatigue, and in the future it will affect important organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys. In severe cases, it can lead to serious diseases such as hypertensive heart disease and cerebrovascular accidents. Therefore, hypertension should be treated with medication in a timely manner in the early stages of the disease. So when is the best time to take antihypertensive drugs?

Hypertension is a disease that is extremely harmful, so it is necessary to control the condition in a timely manner through various blood pressure-lowering drugs, otherwise it can easily put life in danger. Below I will give you a detailed introduction to the question of when is the best time to take antihypertensive drugs.

A normal person's blood pressure fluctuates within a certain range as the internal and external environment changes. In the general population, blood pressure levels gradually increase with age, especially in systolic blood pressure. However, after the age of 50, diastolic blood pressure shows a downward trend and pulse pressure also increases accordingly. In recent years, people's understanding of the role of multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease and the protection of target organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys has continued to deepen, and the diagnostic criteria for hypertension have also been constantly adjusted. It is currently believed that patients with the same blood pressure level have different risks of developing cardiovascular disease. Therefore, the concept of blood pressure stratification has been developed, that is, patients with different risks of cardiovascular disease should have different appropriate blood pressure levels.

Hypertension is a common disease among people nowadays. This disease has a great impact on many patients. Hypertension mainly affects the elderly. So when is the best time to take antihypertensive drugs for hypertension in the elderly? Let's find out together below.

When to take antihypertensive drugs

Generally speaking, our daily blood pressure levels fluctuate regularly: there are two blood pressure peak times in 24 hours, namely 6 to 10 am and 4 to 8 pm (the so-called "spoon-shaped curve"). If you take the medicine half an hour before these two peaks, the antihypertensive effect will be better. But there are some special cases. For example, some patients have high blood pressure in the early morning, so they need to take an additional dose of medicine before going to bed. But then again, for most people, their blood pressure is about 20% lower when they fall asleep at night than during the day. Therefore, taking antihypertensive drugs before bed can easily lead to a sharp drop in blood pressure, causing insufficient blood supply to organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys. So whether to take medication before bed must be based on blood pressure monitoring and consultation with your doctor.

The dosage forms of antihypertensive drugs are mainly divided into short-acting, medium-acting and long-acting drugs. Whether it is better to take different antihypertensive drugs before or after meals requires specific analysis.

Short-acting antihypertensive drugs: They are well absorbed when taken before meals and have a significant antihypertensive effect, but labetalol is best taken after meals or between meals to avoid orthostatic hypotension and stomach discomfort.

Moderate-acting antihypertensive drugs: Generally taken twice a day, most of them take effect quickly when taken on an empty stomach, but for the elderly and diabetics, it is best to decide the time of taking the medicine according to changes in blood pressure. It can also be taken after meals or between meals.

Long-acting antihypertensive drugs: When is the best time to take long-acting antihypertensive drugs? Because they are not greatly affected by diet, especially the calcium ion channel blocker amlodipine, they are well absorbed orally and are not affected by meal times. Moreover, they only need to be taken once a day to achieve 24-hour stable and lasting blood pressure control.

Sustained-release antihypertensive drugs: generally cannot be chewed or crushed before taking. Some sustained-release agents, such as verapamil, are best taken after meals. Taking them before meals can easily affect the release amount and cause stomach discomfort.

After reading the detailed answer to the question of when is the best time to take antihypertensive drugs, I believe that middle-aged and elderly people and their families have a general understanding of it. It turns out that the peak fluctuations in our daily blood pressure levels are around 6 to 10 in the morning and around 4 to 8 in the afternoon. Therefore, taking antihypertensive drugs half an hour before these two peaks has a good effect on lowering blood pressure. In addition, when choosing blood pressure-lowering drugs, it is best to consult a doctor in advance and remember not to take the drugs blindly on your own.