TY - JOUR
T1 - Do statins lower blood pressure?
AU - Mangat, Simardeep
AU - Agarwal, Sanjay
AU - Rosendorff, Clive
PY - 2007/6
Y1 - 2007/6
N2 - Hypercholesterolemia is present in many patients with hypertension and adds a significant component of cardiovascular risk. The 3-hydroxy-3 methyl-glutarylcoenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol but also inhibit many of the structural and functional components of the arteriosclerotic process. Structural effects include reductions in vascular smooth muscle hypertrophy and proliferation, fibrin deposition, and collagen cross-linking. Among the functional effects are improvements in endothelial function, reduction in inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species, and down-regulation of angiotensin II and endothelin receptors. These would be expected to reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension; 14 studies have shown statin-induced decrease in blood pressure, but 11 studies showed no effect. Many of the studies had no placebo controls, were of short duration, or had small sample sizes, or combinations of these. Despite predictions made on the basis of the vasoprotective actions of statins, the blood-pressure-lowering effects of statins are at best modest.
AB - Hypercholesterolemia is present in many patients with hypertension and adds a significant component of cardiovascular risk. The 3-hydroxy-3 methyl-glutarylcoenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol but also inhibit many of the structural and functional components of the arteriosclerotic process. Structural effects include reductions in vascular smooth muscle hypertrophy and proliferation, fibrin deposition, and collagen cross-linking. Among the functional effects are improvements in endothelial function, reduction in inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species, and down-regulation of angiotensin II and endothelin receptors. These would be expected to reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension; 14 studies have shown statin-induced decrease in blood pressure, but 11 studies showed no effect. Many of the studies had no placebo controls, were of short duration, or had small sample sizes, or combinations of these. Despite predictions made on the basis of the vasoprotective actions of statins, the blood-pressure-lowering effects of statins are at best modest.
KW - Blood pressure
KW - Hypertension
KW - Statins
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34249748962&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1074248407300380
DO - 10.1177/1074248407300380
M3 - Article
C2 - 17562781
AN - SCOPUS:34249748962
SN - 1074-2484
VL - 12
SP - 112
EP - 123
JO - Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics
JF - Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics
IS - 2
ER -