High Blood Pressure In Older People
The target blood pressure reading for the over-80s is below 150/90 mmHg when it’s measured in the clinic or surgery, and below 145/85 mmHg for home readings.
While there are definite benefits from taking medicines to reduce blood pressure if you’re under the age of 80, it’s less clear it’s useful if you’re over 80.
It’s now thought that if you reach 80 while you’re taking medicine for high blood pressure, it’s fine to continue treatment provided it’s still helping you and is not causing side effects.
If you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure and you’re aged over 80, your doctor will also consider your other health risk factors when deciding whether to give you treatment for the high blood pressure.
Page last reviewed: 23 October 2019 Next review due: 23 October 2022
The Best Time To Take Blood Pressure Medication
The typical advice for when to take your antihypertensives has been to take it in the morning. However, theres growing evidence that most blood pressure medications are more effective when people take them at night.
This is largely due to a concept called chronotherapy. It is an approach to the timing of medical treatment based on circadian rhythms, the bodys natural cycle of physical changes that take place every 24 hours. The approach has been used to find the best times of day to treat other medical conditions, including sleep apnea, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes.
This article explains how different types of blood pressure medications work. It looks at how blood pressure naturally tends to rise and fall, and how the best time to take your medication may be influenced by chronotherapy principles.
Why Taking Blood Pressure Meds At Bedtime May Be More Effective
- New research suggests that taking your blood pressure medication at bedtime may more effectively reduce your risk of illness or death due to heart and blood vessel disease.
- Timing of medication is important because blood pressure follows a daily rhythm. It rises higher during the day and falls at night when we sleep.
- Rather than taking a blanket approach, experts say any medication regimen should be personalized for you based on a discussion with your physician.
Should you be taking your blood pressure medication at bedtime rather than in the morning?
Research published in the October 22, 2019, issue of the European Heart Journal suggests that maybe you should.
In the study, the researchers followed 19,084 patients with high blood pressure for a median of 6 years.
The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: those who took their blood pressure medication in the morning and those who took it at bedtime.
The researchers found that bedtime medication seemed to make a difference for patients as they had better nighttime blood pressure.
They also had less risk of illness or death due to heart and blood vessel disease.
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Follow The Other Parts Of Your High Blood Pressure Treatment Plan
When it comes to treating high blood pressure, it’s likely that you and your doctor have talked about steps in addition to taking medication. These steps can help make your medicine work even better to control blood pressure. Here are some of the other steps that might be part of your plan:
- Eat a diet that includes lots of fruits, vegetables, and low-fat meat and dairy foods.
- Watch how much sodium you eat in your diet. Most of the sodium you eat comes from packaged or processed foods.
- Watch how much alcohol you drink. Ask your doctor about an appropriate amount.
- Don’t use cigarettes or other tobacco products.
- Get as close as you can to a healthy weight. Your doctor can help you determine an appropriate goal.
- Get regular physical activity. Try for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week.
- Learn ways to relieve stress, such as relaxation techniques.
For each of these steps, your doctor can give you more information and get you started. Or your doctor may refer you to other health professionals who can help. Some health centers even offer free or inexpensive classes in these areas.
Can I Change The Time I Take My Blood Pressure Medication
You can’t just start taking your medication at nighttime because different medicines work in different ways.
For example, diuretics lower blood pressure by causing you to urinate out extra fluids. If you take a diuretic at ten o’clock in the evening, you might have to get up four hours later to go to the bathroom. A disruption to your sleep pattern could have negative health effects that may counterbalance the beneficial effect of the medication.
Beta-blockers are another group of blood pressure-lowering medications that reduce your heart rate. Since your heart rate typically goes down at night as you relax, taking beta-blockers at bedtime could cause your heart to beat too slowly. Therefore, it might be better to take these medicines in the morning when your heart rate is likely to be higher.
If you are experiencing side effects of blood pressure medications during the day after taking specific medications in the morning, you can move them to bedtime.
For instance, amlodipine, which is commonly prescribed, works by dilating arteries, thereby reducing blood pressure and making it easier for your heart to pump blood. This medication doesn’t affect your heart rate and doesn’t make you urinate, so you can take it at bedtime.
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Know Your Blood Pressure Numbers
The updated guidelines put blood pressure readings in five different categories:
Normal. A top number less than 120 and a bottom number less than 80. Elevated. A top number between 120 and 129, and a bottom number less than 80. Stage 1. A top number between 130 and 139, or a bottom number between 80 and 89. Stage 2. A top number of 140 or higher, or a bottom number of 90 or higher. Hypertensive crisis. A top number over 180 or a bottom number over 120.
Take a look at these recommended blood pressure monitors from CRs tests:
Keep Track Of Your Blood Pressure
Remember, high blood pressure has no symptoms. So the only way to know if it’s high — or getting higher — is to check it regularly.
If you and your doctor decide you need medicine, it’s not a defeat. Lots of people get high blood pressure eventually. And it’s not an excuse to give up on healthy habits either. You’ll get the most benefit from your blood pressure drugs if you combine regular exercise, a good diet, and a healthy weight.
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Can I Take More Blood Pressure Medicine
Whether sneaking, escaping, or assassinating, Floating on the Earth can work wonders, and Ivo is very satisfied with this ability. The bounty of pirates comes from two aspects, one is their own strength and power, how long does it take blood pressure low blood pressure symptoms medicine to work and the other is harmfulness.
Ships approaching the Misty Island will sink inexplicably, so that there is no ship can rogaine lower your blood pressure within ten nautical miles of the Misty Island.
Norconnor s eyes were bright, and he hurriedly turned the rudder to the bottom left, and then cut off the cable tied to the port anchor. how long does it take blood pressure medicine to work However, how long does it take blood pressure medicine to work in Liema Town, no natural ways to rid blood pressure medication local people dare to provoke the Hurricane Group.
He took the risk, suffered diuretics and potassium loss the terrifying attack of the Pirate King, and ran away.
Not to mention Ivo and Nafi, after the three young werewolves walked away, one of them licked his lips and said, That woman smelled so fresh just now. Everyone was dumbfounded and looked how long does it take blood pressure medicine to work at Ivo inexplicably, not knowing what he did.
The bald man has a sunken scar on the top of blood pressure medication birth defects his head, and he looks hideous.
How Does Your Individual Risk Influence Your Use Of Medication
Blood pressure medicine can lower the ten-year risk of cardiovascular disease by 20 to 30% of the initial individual risk. For the men in our example, reducing their risks by 20% would mean the following:
- If John takes antihypertensive medication, his risk of having a heart attack or stroke is lowered by 2%: from 11 to 9%. In other words: Strokes or heart attacks are prevented in 2 out of 100 men like John if they take medication for ten years.
- For Henry, a risk reduction of 20% means that the likelihood that he has a heart attack or a stroke drops by 7%: from 33 to 26%. Because Henry’s initial risk is much greater than John’s, he also benefits more from treatment with medication.
This illustration shows the difference:
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The Shoulds Of Properly Taking Your High Blood Pressure Drugs
Why is it so important to take your high blood pressure drugs properly? It’s not just to make your doctor happy or to make your life more complicated. Taking high blood pressure medicine properly provides you the best results, lowering your blood pressure to a healthier level. You should take high blood pressure medicine properly because:
- That’s how your doctor can tell whether the medicine is working to lower your blood pressure.
- Taking medicine at the wrong doses or times or stopping high blood pressure medicine suddenly can be downright dangerous to your health.
- If your blood pressure remains too high, you’re more likely to develop other serious problems such as heart attacks, stroke, or kidney disease.
The good news is that taking high blood pressure medicine properly helps ensure better health for yourself now and in the future.
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When Is Taking Medication For High Blood Pressure A Good Idea
Over time, high blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Medication can lower blood pressure effectively. The higher the blood pressure, the greater the benefit. But the risk of long-term health consequences also depends on many other factors.
A decision to take medication for high blood pressure is a long-term decision. So it’s worth considering the pros and cons of the various treatment options. If you would like to know about the advantages and disadvantages of different treatments, doctors are obliged to describe them to you and everyone has the right to decide for themselves whether or not to take medication to lower their blood pressure .
Slightly high blood pressure can often be reduced by losing weight, eating less salt and getting more exercise. If that isn’t effective enough, treatment with antihypertensive medication is considered. Some people may opt for medication right away.
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Drugs Vs Lifestyle Change
First, keep in mind that drugs have limited success. Most studies on diuretics and other blood pressure-lowering drugs suggest they lower the risk of cardiovascular events among those with blood pressure between 140/90 and 159/99 by 15 to 20%.3 The problem is, with this range of blood pressure, the risk of cardiovascular-related deaths has increased by 300 to 400% compared to people with normal blood pressure.
So, while treating hypertension with drugs is generally better than no treatment, it is far from a cure, asserts Dr. Fruge.
At What Point Should I Take Blood Pressure Medication
Question posted by Sandiego on 3 Oct 2011
Last updated on 4 February 2012 byDemoninDC
I would like to post this question again.
My doctor at Scripps has been trying to get me to take blood pressure medications for a year now. At one point his nurse actually told me that they didn’t want to see me again if I didn’t take medication. My blood pressure when they take it at Scripps is around 130/90. When I went in for eye lid surgery a few months ago at a different medical group my blood pressure during surgery was reported as114/76. When I check it at drug stores and other places it is never over 120/80. When I check it at home it is usually below 120/80. I use an OMRON HEM-775 machine at home and just checked it: 118/79
Could it be that the nurses and doctors at Scripps do not know how to take blood pressure or they are trying to get everone over 55 to take blood pressure medications? And I wonder if Scripps is trying to get as many patients on blood pressure medications as possible to create a large control group that can be studied in the future?
I certainly don’t want a stroke or heart attack, but on the other hand I don’t want to be on medications that I don’t need. At what point should I take blood pressure medications?
Yesterday I received the results of my blood work and everything is normal.
The NIH – National Heart Lung and Blood Institute defines blood pressure as follows:
+0Slugard+0meyatisuzanne66+2
Great suggestion. I’ll get one. Thanks.
DzooBaby
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Ways To Manage Your Blood Pressure
If your blood pressure is rising gradually but not classified as hypertension yet, making lifestyle changes can help prevent this condition and protect your heart health.
If you already have high blood pressure, you should see a healthcare provider. Your doctor will likely prescribe you medication to lower your blood pressure immediately, then create a plan to help you achieve more long-term improvements. Treatment plans for high blood pressure usually focus on improving your overall health. These plans should include efforts like:
- Weight loss
- Quitting smoking
- Reducing alcohol
These changes wont lower your blood pressure immediately the way medications will, but over time, your doctor may be able to reduce or even stop medications if you can successfully lower your blood pressure with lifestyle changes.
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How Long Will I Have To Take Blood Pressure Medicine
Team up for life!
Once prescribed blood pressure medicine, you may need to take it for the rest of your life. Your blood pressure medicine is like your teammate – you and your medicine work together every day to keep your blood pressure down.
Medicines are not a cure for high blood pressure. Medicines can lower blood pressure, but if you stop taking them, your blood pressure goes back up.
Lifestyle changes can help lower blood pressure. Sometimes this allows people to stop or lower their dose of medicine. In one study, about 40 out of 100 people with mild high blood pressure were able to stay off blood pressure medicine with lifestyle changes. These people started exercising more, losing weight, eating less salt, and drinking less alcohol. The other 60 out of 100 needed to restart medicine even after making these changes. Nearly all in the group who stopped taking their medicine but didnt make the lifestyle changes needed to restart their medicine.
If you have mild high blood pressure, you may be able to lower your dose or even stop taking your medicine with lifestyle changes like these.
However, if you have moderate to severe high blood pressure, this is less likely. You may be able to lower your dose, but you probably wont be able to stop taking your medicine completely.
Most people will need to take blood pressure medicine for life. However, making lifestyle changes may keep the number of medicines and doses down.
Team up for life!
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When To Take Medicine For Blood Pressure: Conclusion
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Wang Ji couldn t bear it. Zhu said These things can only be used once, and future students can is 116/68 good blood pressure with medication is 116/68 good blood pressure with medicationWhen To Take Medicine For Blood Pressure also use them.
Holding the booklet in his arms, he sighed. Old Master Tang came When To Take Medicine For Blood Pressure over, looked at her up and down and smiled, It s a pity that you are a woman, otherwise you would be more suitable for the censor s desk than an old man like me.
When the prince When To Take Medicine For Blood Pressure turned the corner, Xiao Yuanzheng walked more slowly, directly reaching out to cover his lower back.
The prince scoffed, whether he was worried about him or Zhou Man, he was not a fool. The When To Take Medicine For Blood Pressure prince got up and said, You just stay with the princess.
Reason: You Could Be Experiencing White Coat Hypertension
If you feel nervous aboutseeing a doctor, your blood pressure could spike at each appointment and givethe false sense that your blood pressure is generally high.
Try arriving early at your appointment, then take deep breaths in the waiting room to relax. Work to manage your anxiety. The American Heart Association recommends that you sit quietly for at least five minutes before taking your blood pressure. Also, if you or your doctor suspect that its the actually the medical office itself spiking your blood pressure, you can talk about options.
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