On a day-to-day basis, our bodies operate on predictable schedules. According to one study, you should take your medications at certain ideal times so that they are better assimilated by the body. In other words, we should take into account our biological clock.
The body works in similar day-long cycles , also known as circadian rhythms. These act on virtually all cells, tissues and other organs of the human body. Obviously, the majority of physiological functions are concerned. However, hospitals also have daily rhythms, but these often differ from the patients' internal clocks.
A study led by the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (USA) published in the journal PNAS on October 1, 2019 addressed this issue. In hospitals, doctors often give the drugs in the morning. This is obviously very practical for their organization , itself determined by the opening hours of the establishments.
Although intelligent, our bodies are not not a stable system. In other words, the internal rhythm specific to individuals means that the time of day can play on the effectiveness of the treatment as well as the intensity of any side effects.
According to the study leaders, the hours of drug administration are not evenly distributed. The latter evoke flare-ups in the morning and lulls at night. There is nevertheless a peak between 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. However, the symptoms of colds and allergies are more intense in the morning. However, heartburn tends to happen in the evening. This is also the case for problems with liver function or blood circulation.
For example, people take aspirin daily to prevent blood clots that can lead to strokes and heart attacks. The fact is that these events often occur in the early morning. A study published in 2014 suggested that taking aspirin was more effective in the evening. The drug appears to spare the stomach lining more when taken before bedtime.
Despite a fairly rich documentation on the matter, most drugs are administered without any thought regarding these ideal hours. Obviously, applying such planning is complicated in view of the overloaded schedules of the nursing staff. However, in an ideal system, physicians could assess at what time of day medications are most effective and have the fewest side effects.
