Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024 Mar;39(2):205-214.
doi: 10.3904/kjim.2023.304. Epub 2023 Nov 16.

Nighttime administration of antihypertensive medication: a review of chronotherapy in hypertension

Hyun-Jin Kim  1 , Sang-Ho Jo  2
Affiliations
Review

Nighttime administration of antihypertensive medication: a review of chronotherapy in hypertension

Hyun-Jin Kim et al. Korean J Intern Med. 2024 Mar.

Abstract

Hypertension remains a global health concern because of suboptimal blood pressure control despite advancements in antihypertensive treatments. Chronotherapy, defined as evening or bedtime administration of medication based on biological rhythms, is emerging as a potential strategy to improve blood pressure control and treatment outcomes. Clinical trials have investigated the potential effects of nighttime administration of antihypertensive medication in the improvement of 24 hours blood pressure control and reduction of cardiovascular risk. Implementing chronotherapy in clinical practice could have significant implications in enhancing blood pressure control and improving clinical outcomes in patients with hypertension, particularly those with resistant hypertension. However, recent trials have reported contradictory results, causing confusion in real-world practice. Herein we review, analyze, and critique the current evidence and propose suggestions regarding the clinical application and future directions of chronotherapy.

Keywords: Blood pressure; Chronotherapy; Hypertension.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

The authors disclose no conflicts.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Forouzanfar MH, Liu P, Roth GA, et al. Global burden of hypertension and systolic blood pressure of at least 110 to 115 mm Hg, 1990-2015. JAMA. 2017;317:165–182. - PubMed
    1. NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants. Lancet. 2021;398:957–980. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kim HC, Cho SMJ, Lee H, Lee HH, Baek J, Heo JE, Korean Society of Hypertension (KSH) – Hypertension Epidemiology Research Working Group Korea hypertension fact sheet 2020: analysis of nationwide population-based data. Clin Hypertens. 2021;27:8. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kim HC. Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors in Korea. Glob Health Med. 2021;3:134–141. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hermida RC, Ayala DE, Smolensky MH, Fernández JR, Mojón A, Portaluppi F. Chronotherapy with conventional blood pressure medications improves management of hypertension and reduces cardiovascular and stroke risks. Hypertens Res. 2016;39:277–292. - PubMed

Publication types

Substances