Dr. Roberto Minutolo of the Second University of Naples reports in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases that switching one hypertension pill from morning to bedtime may normalize blood pressure in patients at higher right of heart and kidney disease.
In healthy people, blood pressure dips at night by 10 to 20 percent. Though scientists are unsure why this occurs, they suspect the decrease gives arteries the opportunity to rest. Those with hypertension that don't dip at night tend to develop more serious heart disease and are at higher risk for kidney disease.
The Italian study consisted of 32 patients with chronic kidney disease taking more than one hypertension medication a day. All were monitored for 24 hours and were found to have blood pressure that did not dip at night. The patients were then instructed to switch one hypertension medication from morning to bedtime and 28 experienced normal night time blood pressure within 8 weeks.
This is just the latest study in chronotherapy: The study of how internal body rhythms make certain diseases worse at certain times of the day and how to effectively time treatment.
While the Italian study is too small to be conclusive, smilar studies from Europe back the data and Johns Hopkins University are planning a larger study to try and establish if the conclusions drawn from this and other similar studues are accurate.
[Source: Journal Standard]
Wow, this research is really amazing! In such a way, "The patients were then instructed to switch one hypertension medication from morning to bedtime and 28 experienced normal night time blood pressure within 8 weeks", that is so wizardly. Good research! It reminds me of a book I have recently read---The Heartmath Approach to Managing Hypertension , it explains breathwork in a modern way with modern research. Topics include excess salt in the diet, people at increased risk for development of hypertension, dangers of high blood pressure, drug treatment, lifestyle changes, and more. Here is the book I found: http://dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=74260 , I think it is a good guideline for those people who suffer from the disease.
Posted by: Tod | December 23, 2007 10:42 PM | Permalink to Comment