Adults who take their hypertensive medications at bedtime rather than in the morning have a significantly lower chance of early death, MI and stroke, a Spanish study shows.

The findings, published in the European Heart Journal, also suggest that better systolic blood pressure control during sleep plays a crucial role in reducing overall cardiovascular risk.

Cardiologist Dr Harry Gibbs, from the Alfred hospital in Melbourne, says the study shows there is no harm in doctors advising patients to take their antihypertensives at night.

He says that although the results are not enough to prompt a change in guidelines just yet, the data is “beginning to stack up” to support the shift.