Choose the right time to take medicine to improve the efficacy of the medicine

Blood pressure medication

From the table above we can see that:

Blood pressure reaches high values ​​between 9:00-11:00 and 16:00-18:00.

It reaches its lowest value between 2:00-3:00 and starts to rise again in the early morning.

Antihypertensive drugs usually take effect within half an hour after taking them and reach their peak effect within 2-3 hours.

For patients whose blood pressure drops significantly at night, they should take the medicine twice: at 7:00 and 14:00.

For patients whose blood pressure drops less at night, they should choose to take the medicine before going to bed.

Controlled-release and sustained-release tablets are usually administered at 7:00.

Terazosin and other drugs should be given before bedtime because they can cause orthostatic hypotension.

Antianginal drugs

The peak of angina pectoris is usually between 6:00 and 12:00 in the morning. If the drug is used in the morning, it can significantly dilate the coronary artery and improve myocardial ischemia, but the effect is not as strong as the former when taken in the afternoon. Therefore, it is best for patients with angina pectoris to take anti-anginal drugs in the morning to achieve the best therapeutic effect.

Cardiotonic drugs

Cardiotonic drugs play an important role in the treatment of heart failure. The sensitivity of heart failure patients to cardiac glycosides is highest around 4:00 a.m., and the effect of the drugs at this time is 40 times stronger than at other times.

If digoxin is taken between 8:00 and 10:00 in the morning, the peak blood concentration is slightly lower and the drug effect is the greatest. If it is taken between 14:00 and 16:00 in the afternoon, the drug effect is the lowest. Therefore, taking digoxin in the morning can increase the efficacy.

Lipid-lowering drugs

Statins are lipid-lowering drugs. Since statins mainly inhibit the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis, and the activity of this enzyme is strongest at night, general statins are required to be taken before bedtime. However, atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pitavastatin can be taken at any fixed time of the day because of their longer half-life and better lipid-lowering effect.

Antiplatelet drugs: aspirin

Morning? Evening?

Aspirin's antiplatelet effect lasts for 7-10 days and is irreversible, so it doesn't matter when you take aspirin. The most important thing is to take it every day.

Before or after a meal?

Enteric-coated aspirin tablets are best taken before meals. If taken after meals, the drug may stay in the stomach longer and irritate the gastric mucosa; certain foods may change the acid-base environment in the stomach, causing the drug to dissolve in the stomach and increasing the risk of adverse gastric reactions.

Necessary reminder: All medications vary from person to person. Please take the medication strictly according to the instructions given by your doctor.

Source: Zhongkang Cardiac Rehabilitation