MedWire News: Cholesterol-lowering medications called statins may also help to 'modestly' lower patients' blood pressure levels, US study results suggest.

"These modest effects may contribute to the reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular events reported on statins," say Dr Beatrice Golomb and colleagues from the University of California in San Diego.

The team studied 973 participants without cardiovascular disease who received either statins or a dummy medication for 6 months.

The participants' blood pressure was measured at the start of the study, at 1 and 6 months during treatment, and again 2 months after the treatment ended.

The researchers found that, among patients taking statins, systolic blood pressure fell by an average of 2.2 mmHg and their diastolic blood pressure fell by an average of 2.4 mmHg over the course of the study.

The effect of statins on blood pressure became significant by month 6 of the study, but dissipated after the end of treatment.

There were no significant blood pressure changes among patients who received the dummy medication.

Dr Golomb and team conclude: "This study adds to our understanding of the effects of statins, currently the best-selling prescription drugs in the world.

"The reduction in blood pressure seen with statins may contribute - among other identified factors - to some of the 'rapid' cardiovascular benefits of statins, arising too swiftly to be explained by effects of statins on [artery] plaque accumulation."

The research is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.