Statins prescribed for high cholesterol appear to result in a "modest but significant" reduction in blood pressure, a report claims.

A double-blind placebo-controlled study was carried out on 973 men and women with no known cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Participants were given either 20 mg of simvastatin, 40 mg of pravastatin or placebo for a period of six months.

Blood pressure readings were taken at the start of the trial and followed up at months one and six, as well as two months after the study's conclusion.

Reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings were noted in patients taking both simvastatin and pravastatin.

Researchers have linked the findings with a reduced risk of stroke and cardiovascular events reported by patients taking statins.

"We found that statins lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and that the effect extends to patients with pre-hypertension, those with normal blood pressure and persons not on blood-pressure lowering medications," said lead author Beatrice Golomb from the University of California.

"While reductions in blood pressure with statins were measurable as early as one month into the trial, the lowered blood pressure was significant at six months," she added.

The findings are reported in the April 14th edition of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

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