Chronofarmacokinetiek: cyclische veranderingen

Circadian rhythms influence cyclic changes in plasma drug concentrations through regular fluctuations in physiological functions.

Standard circadian parameters like core body temperature, heart rate, and other cardiovascular parameters affect disease states and therapeutic response to drug therapy.

Depending on the time of drug administration, the toxic dose of the drug can also vary.

For instance, blood pressure follows a diurnal rhythm, peaking in the morning and decreasing at night.

Hypertensive patients can be categorized as dippers if their nighttime blood pressure decreases and non-dippers if their nighttime blood pressure does not decrease.

Dipper patients should be administered antihypertensive drugs early in the morning. In contrast, non-dipper patients require an evening dose to manage high blood pressure and normalize their 24-hour blood pressure profile.

Time-dependent pharmacokinetics is a crucial consideration in treating hypertensive subjects whose early-morning rise in blood pressure can increase the risk of stroke.