The Treatment in Morning versus Evening (TIME) study has recently been published. The study compared the morning dosing of blood pressure lowering medication with evening dosing of the same medication for people with high blood pressure.
Previously it was thought that the time of day you took your medication influenced how effective it was.
However, the results of the TIME Study by the University of Dundee has shown that the time of day you take your medication does not have any impact in terms of heart attacks, strokes or cardiovascular death.
The study included 21,104 patients over the age of 18 with high blood pressure from across the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). Each participant was randomly instructed when to take their medication.
There were slight differences in side effects. Patients who took their medication in the morning were more likely to report feelings of dizziness, light-headedness, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhoea and muscle aches. Those who took their medication in the evening were more likely to report an increase of visits to the toilet.
These results mean that a patient, with their doctor can choose which time of day to take their medication to minimise side effects and which time of day suits them the best.
The TIME study was sponsored by the University of Dundee and funded by the British Heart Foundation (CS/14/1/30659). In addition, the study was supported by the British and Irish Hypertension Society, SHARE, UK Biobank, and UK Clinical Research Networks (UKCRN).