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Millions of Americans are tapping into the heart-healthy benefits of a daily baby aspirin to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Does timing of the dosage play a role?
A team of researchers at the University of Vigo in Spain says yes. The researchers found that a daily low-dose aspirin helps reduce high blood pressure--but only if taken at bedtime.
Dr. Ramon C. Hermida and colleagues at the University of Vigo in Spain studied a group of 109 men and women who suffered from mild hypertension--a blood pressure reading of no higher than 160/100 mm/Hg. Some participants were given a 100 mg aspirin before they went to bed, while others received a morning aspirin. Researchers monitored the participants' blood pressure levels every half-hour for 48 hours before beginning aspirin therapy, then repeated the two-day intensive monitoring after three months of the therapy.
At the end of the trial, researchers found that participants who took the bedtime dosage decreased their systolic blood pressure (top reading) by an average of 7.0 mm/Hg, and their diastolic blood pressure by an average of 4.8 mm/Hg over the duration of the study. The morning group saw no reduction of blood pressure.
"Basically, there is no effect when aspirin is taken when waking up," says lead author Dr. Ramon Hermida. "And there is a significant effect when aspirin is taken at bedtime. It's a big difference."
The study reinforces the emerging role of aspirin in reducing blood pressure. People should check with their physicians before switching to nighttime aspirin, particularly those already taking medications for high blood pressure.
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