Effects of statins on blood pressure: a review of the experimental and clinical evidence.

The "pleiotropic" effects of statins have been the centre of a considerable research activity. Among the numerous experimental and clinical studies of this field, some focused on the effects of statins on blood pressure (BP), while others reported data on BP together with other parameters. Some of the animal or human studies do not show an association between statin treatment and BP changes, whereas others usually report mild but significant reductions. Among the latter, all clinical studies using ambulatory BP recordings show a significant drop in both systolic and diastolic BP in hypertensive patients. In addition, accumulating evidence has identified a number of statin actions that may be involved in BP lowering. Overall, current evidence suggests that statins can be associated with a mild beneficial effect on BP, but further research is needed to clarify the exact magnitude of this action, as well as its clinical relevance.