Statins can prevent proteinuria in patients with hypertension
Statins are used to prevent kidney problems in patients with hypertension even in people with normal cholesterol levels. High blood pressure boosts protein excretion through the kidneys and damages kidney tubules.
Statins seem to have anti-inflammatory effects that improve kidney tubule function and decrease protein excretion. In fact, adding pravastatin (Cholestate, Lipostat) in patients with hypertension reduces protein excretion by more than 50%. Most hypertensive patients with excessive protein excretion will get an ACE inhibitor or ARB first.
Explain to patients that adding a statin helps their kidneys reduce protein excretion. See additional notes on, "Pharmacology of HMG-CoA inhibitors (Statins)" and "Optimization of lipids in cardiovascular patients (focus on statin dose Instead of LDL levels)".
References
- LEE, T., 2005. Add-On And Withdrawal Effect of Pravastatin on Proteinuria in Hypertensive Patients Treated with AT1 Receptor Blockers. Available at: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82252547.pdf.
- Athyros VG, Katsiki N, Karagiannis A, Mikhailidis DP. Statins can improve proteinuria and glomerular filtration rate loss in chronic kidney disease patients, further reducing cardiovascular risk. Fact or fiction?. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2015;16(10):1449-1461.
