High blood pressure and high cholesterol are the most common conditions that can lead to cardiovascular disease if ignored. The good news is thatboth conditionsare treatable with lifestyle modifications and/or medication.There are many medications that can be used to help control yourhigh blood pressure, but in some cases, these drugs may also have an effect on yourcholesterol and triglyceride levels. Some blood pressure-lowering medications may improve your lipid profile whereas some drugs may actually make it worse. Fortunately, even if some of these medications raise your cholesterol levels, the effect is usually only slight and temporary.Katrina Wittkamp / Getty ImagesBlood Pressure Drugs With Neutral EffectStudies have shown that the following blood pressure medications have little effect, if any, on your cholesterol levels, including:Hydralazine (Apresoline)Potassium-sparing diuretics, like Aldactone (spironolactone)Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (also known as ACE inhibitors) such as Zestril (lisinopril), Altace (ramipril), and quinaprilAngiotensin II receptor blockers (also known as ARBs) which include drugs such as Micardis (telmisartan), Diovan (valsartan), andCozaar(losartan)Calcium channel blockers such asNorvasc(amlodipine), Verelan (verapamil), and felodipineMeds That May Negatively Impact Your Cholesterol LevelsThere are other commonly used blood pressure medications that may have a slightly negative effect on your cholesterol. These medications could increase yourLDL, or “bad”, cholesterol levels, your total cholesterol levels, andtriglyceridesand lower yourHDL cholesterol. These drugs include:High doses of certain diuretics, like loop diuretics (furosemide, torsemide) and thiazide diuretics (hydrochlorothiazide, metaxalone)Certain beta blockers, like bisoprolol, Corgard (nadolol), Toprol and Lopressor (metoprolol), Inderal (propranolol), Tenormin (atenolol), Bystolic (nebivolol)These medications may increase your total cholesterol levels, but because these changes are usually transient and small, this should not be a reason to discontinue taking your blood pressure medications.False-High and False-Low Cholesterol TestsCholesterol-Lowering MedicationsThere are other blood pressure-lowering medications that have also been shown to slightly lower your cholesterol levels, as well as modestly raise HDL cholesterol. These include:Alpha-1 adrenergic blockers, such as Minipress (prazosin) or Cardura (doxazosin)Although these medications have a positive effect on your cholesterol numbers, this effect will probably not be sufficient enough to treat your high cholesterol, too.Your healthcare provider will select the appropriate blood pressure medication for you. If you have high cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels, your healthcare provider will monitor your lipid levels periodically and may adjust your dose or switch you to another blood pressure medication depending upon your response to the drug. If you are worried about your blood pressure medication interacting with your lipid levels, you should address your concerns with your healthcare provider.
High blood pressure and high cholesterol are the most common conditions that can lead to cardiovascular disease if ignored. The good news is thatboth conditionsare treatable with lifestyle modifications and/or medication.
There are many medications that can be used to help control yourhigh blood pressure, but in some cases, these drugs may also have an effect on yourcholesterol and triglyceride levels. Some blood pressure-lowering medications may improve your lipid profile whereas some drugs may actually make it worse. Fortunately, even if some of these medications raise your cholesterol levels, the effect is usually only slight and temporary.
Katrina Wittkamp / Getty Images
Blood Pressure Drugs With Neutral Effect
Studies have shown that the following blood pressure medications have little effect, if any, on your cholesterol levels, including:
Meds That May Negatively Impact Your Cholesterol Levels
There are other commonly used blood pressure medications that may have a slightly negative effect on your cholesterol. These medications could increase yourLDL, or “bad”, cholesterol levels, your total cholesterol levels, andtriglyceridesand lower yourHDL cholesterol. These drugs include:
These medications may increase your total cholesterol levels, but because these changes are usually transient and small, this should not be a reason to discontinue taking your blood pressure medications.
False-High and False-Low Cholesterol Tests
Cholesterol-Lowering Medications
There are other blood pressure-lowering medications that have also been shown to slightly lower your cholesterol levels, as well as modestly raise HDL cholesterol. These include:
Although these medications have a positive effect on your cholesterol numbers, this effect will probably not be sufficient enough to treat your high cholesterol, too.
Your healthcare provider will select the appropriate blood pressure medication for you. If you have high cholesterol and/or triglyceride levels, your healthcare provider will monitor your lipid levels periodically and may adjust your dose or switch you to another blood pressure medication depending upon your response to the drug. If you are worried about your blood pressure medication interacting with your lipid levels, you should address your concerns with your healthcare provider.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Prabhakaran D, Anand S, Gaziano T, et al.Management of hypertension and dyslipidemia for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.Disease Control Priorities.2017 Nov;5(3):389-404. doi:10.1596/978-1-4648-0518-9_ch22
Assis Loure Vale A, Saldanha A, Paula Pantoja Margeotto A, Leme Da Rocha Martinez T.Hyperlipidemia associations with hypertension medications.OJCR. 2020 Mar;3(4):1-2. doi:10.33552/OJCR.2020.03.000567
Williams B, Masi S, Wolf J, Schmieder R.Facing the challenge of lowering blood pressure and cholesterol in the same patient: report of a symposium at the European Society of Hypertension.Cardiol Ther. 2020 Jun;9(1):19-34. doi:10.1007/s40119-019-00159-1
Simha V.Drug-induced dyslipidemia.Contemporary Endocrinology. Humana Press. 2015 May;94(1):267-286. doi:10.1007/978-1-60761-424-1_15
Hiltunen T, Rimpelä J, Mohney R, Stirdivant S, Kontula K.Effects of four different antihypertensive drugs on plasma metabolomic profiles in patients with essential hypertension.PLoS ONE. 2017 Nov;12(11):1-16. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0187729
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