News - Hypertension Week of June 8, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 23

Study: Aspirin Best at Bedtime for Those With Mild Hypertension

People with mild hypertension who regularly take aspirin achieve the best blood pressure results when they take their tablet just before bedtime, according to a study in the June issue of Hypertension.

Researchers from Spain tested the effects of 100 mg of aspirin taken just before going to bed and upon awakening on the blood pressure levels of 100 men and women with mild hypertension.

The participants' blood pressure was measured every 20 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes at night for 48 consecutive hours before and after three months of undergoing an aspirin treatment regimen.

The participants experienced no change in blood pressure when they took aspirin after waking up, but a highly significant blood pressure reduction was observed in the patients who took aspirin before bedtime.

Specifically, the researchers noted that the bedtime group had an average systolic and diastolic blood pressure decrease of 6 and 4 mmHg, respectively.

Other sources: Hypertension