Cholesterol Fighting Statins May Also Help Senior Citizens Battle High Blood Pressure

Statins, the medication swallowed daily by millions of senior citizens to lower their blood cholesterol levels, may also help fight the most dominant chronic problem for senior citizens - hypertension. A new study found statins modestly reduce blood pressure, according to a report in the April 14 issue issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Several previous studies have suggested that statins may have an effect on blood pressure, particularly in patients with hypertension (high blood pressure), according to background information in the article. Statins may activate compounds that widen blood vessels and improve their function.

Beatrice A. Golomb, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at the University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, conducted a randomized, double-blind trial comparing statins to placebo in 973 individuals who did not have diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

For six months between 2000 and 2004, 322 participants were assigned to take 20 milligrams of simvastatin, 323 to take 40 milligrams of pravastatin (doses frequently prescribed for cholesterol-lowering purposes) and 328 to take placebo.

Participants’ blood pressure was measured at the beginning of the study, at one and six months during treatment, and again two months after ending treatment (eight months after the beginning of the study).

Read Full Article (SeniorJournal.com)