A recent review of 21 studies from the Cochrane Collaboration revealed that taking blood pressure medication in the evening results in mildly lower 24-hour blood pressure readings. Another study in Spain ( Journal of the American Society of Nephrology) showed that taking BP medications in the evening in patients with high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease resulted in not only better BP control, but fewer heart attacks and strokes.

COMMENT: These studies are very important and blood pressure medication should be taken at night. Many people, however, are on twice daily medications, but if taking a single agent and/or long-acting agent once daily, evening doses are better. It should be noted that other drugs, such as statins (and also fish oil) for high cholesterol are more effective when taken at night, primarily because that's when most cholesterol is manufactured in the body.