Administration Time–Dependent Effects of Aspirin on Blood Pressure in Untreated Hypertensive Patients

• Published in: Hypertension (Dallas, Tex. 1979) Tex. 1979), 2003-06, Vol.41 (6), p.1259-1267
• Main Authors: Hermida, Ramón C, Ayala, Diana E, Calvo, Carlos, López, José E, Fernández, José R, Mojón, Artemio, Domínguez, María J, Covelo, Manuel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - administration & dosage; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - therapeutic use; Antihypertensive agents; Aspirin - administration & dosage; Aspirin - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; Cardiovascular system; Circadian Rhythm; Demography; Diet; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Heart Rate - drug effects; Humans; Hygiene; Hypertension - blood; Hypertension - drug therapy; Hypertension - physiopathology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pilot Projects; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0194-911X; 1524-4563
• DOI: 10.1161/01.HYP.0000072335.73748.0D

ABSTRACT—Previous studies on the potential influence of aspirin on blood pressure have not taken into consideration the chronopharmacological effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This pilot study investigates the effects of aspirin on blood pressure in untreated hypertensive patients who received aspirin at different times of the day according to their rest-activity cycle. We studied 100 untreated patients with mild hypertension (34 men and 66 women), 42.5±11.6 (mean±SD) years of age, randomly divided into 3 groupsnonpharmacological hygienic-dietary recommendations; the same recommendations and aspirin (100 mg/d) on awakening; or the same recommendations and aspirin before bedtime. Blood pressure was measured every 20 minutes during the day and every 30 minutes at night for 48 consecutive hours before and after 3 months of intervention. The circadian pattern of blood pressure in each group was established by population multiple-component analysis. After 3 months of nonpharmacological intervention, there was a small, nonsignificant reduction of blood pressure (0.341). There was no change in blood pressure when aspirin was given on awakening (P =0.229). A highly significant blood pressure reduction was, however, observed in the patients who received aspirin before bedtime (decrease of 6 and 4 mm Hg in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively;P