Conclusion: Statins lower blood pressure by cholesterol-independent mechanisms, and the reduction is larger in individuals with higher blood pressure and those with low HDL-C. Statins may be beneficial in preventing hypertension and may contribute to better blood pressure control in hypertensive patients.
Combining medication that lowers blood pressure with medication that lowers cholesterol reduced first-time strokes by 44 percent. For those with very high blood pressure — readings 143.5 mm Hg or higher — taking two types of blood pressure-lowering drugs together every day reduced stroke by 42 percent.
Indeed, a recent review has shown that statins lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) up to 8.0 mmHg in patients with dyslipidemia and normal BP; 6.0 mmHg in patients without dyslipidemia and with hypertension; and 13.7 mmHg in patients with dyslipidemia and hypertension [2].
Does lowering your cholesterol lower your blood pressure? Certain lifestyle changes that lower cholesterol can also lower your blood pressure. Such as: eating a healthy diet and exercising can help lower both cholesterol and blood pressure.
Researchers say prescribing statins along with blood pressure medications improves the survival odds for people with hypertension. The number of deaths from stroke and heart disease could significantly decrease if people are given statins in combination with medications that lower blood pressure.
If you're taking a statin medication to lower your cholesterol, you will need to keep taking your prescription, or your cholesterol will likely go back up. Stopping your statin can put you at risk of having heart disease and other preventable health problems like stroke and heart attack from high cholesterol.
High blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol are linked. Cholesterol plaque and calcium cause your arteries to become hard and narrow. So, your heart has to strain much harder to pump blood through them. As a result, your blood pressure becomes too high.
Your health care team may prescribe medicine if: You have already had a heart attack or stroke or have peripheral arterial disease. Your LDL cholesterol level is 190 mg/dL or higher. You are 40–75 years old and have diabetes and an LDL cholesterol level of 70 mg/dL or higher.
You can choose to take it at any time, as long as you stick to the same time every day. This prevents your blood levels from becoming too high or too low. Sometimes doctors may recommend taking it in the evening. This is because your body makes most cholesterol at night.
While statins are highly effective and safe for most people, they have been linked to muscle pain, digestive problems and mental fuzziness in some people who take them and may rarely cause liver damage.
If your risk is very low, you probably won't need a statin, unless your LDL is above 190 mg/dL (4.92 mmol/L). If your risk is very high — for example, you've had a heart attack in the past — a statin may be helpful even if you don't have high cholesterol.
You usually have to continue taking statins for life because if you stop taking them, your cholesterol will return to a high level. If you forget to take your dose, do not take an extra one to make up for it.
People at an increased risk of side effects
being over 70 years old. having a history of liver disease. regularly drinking large quantities of alcohol. having a history of muscle-related side effects when taking a statin or fibrate (another type of medicine for high cholesterol)
“While reductions in blood pressure with statins were measurable as early as one month into the trial, the lowered blood pressure was significant at six months.”
Many statins work more effectively when they are taken at night. This is because the enzyme which makes the cholesterol is more active at night. Also, the half-life, or the amount of time it takes for half the dose to leave your body, of some statins is short.
The studies looked at three different statins: pravastatin, lovastatin and simvastatin. However, many doctors do hear complaints of insomnia and sleep disturbance from patients taking statins.
The most common instruction is to take your statin at night. This is because cholesterol production is thought to be highest at night, and early research on simvastatin showed it was more effective when taken at night versus during the day.
Fear of side effects and perceived side effects are the most common reasons for declining or discontinuing statin therapy. Willingness to take a statin is high, among both patients who have declined statin therapy and those who have never been offered one.
Carimi says it's best to stick with the medication. He says the risk is too high, even if you're now living a better, healthier lifestyle. However, if you haven't had a stroke or heart attack and you are taking statins due to high cholesterol numbers, ending statin use might be an option. Dr.
High cholesterol has no symptoms. A blood test is the only way to detect if you have it.
A person is considered at high risk for developing heart disease if their total cholesterol level is higher than 240 mg/dL, LDL levels are higher than 160 mg/dL (190 mg/dL is even higher risk), and if the HDL level is below 40 mg/dL.
When people have high cholesterol their LDL (bad) is high and their HDL (good) is low. Eating healthy, regular exercise and drinking plenty of water will help to bring down cholesterol levels within 2-3 weeks.
Blood cholesterol is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood, often shortened to mmol/L. As a general guide, total cholesterol levels should be: 5mmol/L or less for healthy adults. 4mmol/L or less for those at high risk.