Does Co-administration of Antihypertensive Drugs and Statins Alter Their Efficacy and Safety? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Antihypertensive drugs (AHTDs) and statins are frequently administered together, but there is uncertainty on whether the presence of one affects the main effects of the other. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effects of co-administered AHTDs and statins on blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol. MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and drug regulatory agency websites were searched, until January 2018. Twelve double-blind randomized controlled trials that allocated adults with or without hypertension and/or hyperlipidemia (n = 4434) to fixed doses of AHTD alone, statin alone and both drugs together, for ≥4 weeks, were included. BP lowering was similar with AHTD + statin compared with AHTD alone [systolic BP -0.1 mm Hg, 95% confidence interval (CI), -1.0 to 0.8, and diastolic BP -1.0 mm Hg, 95% CI, -2.3 to -0.2]. AHTD + statin compared with statin alone resulted in small reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-3.9 mg/dL, 95% CI, -6.1 to -1.7), and this effect was largely associated with co-administration of amlodipine and atorvastatin or rosuvastatin. There was no difference in safety outcomes. Overall, it can be concluded that there is no clinically important difference in the effects of AHTDs and statins whether used separately or together for reduction in BP and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.