The FDA is reviewing the safety of Vytorin, which combines the cholesterol-lowering drugs Zocor and Zetia, after a clinical trial SEAS revealed that 4.1% of patients taking the drug died of some form of cancer. Although the impact is small, the FDA has alarmed doctors and patients about it. Meanwhile it has asked the manufacturers for further data. However, the FDA and the American Heart Association have said that the patients should not stop taking Vytorin or any other cholesterol drug as that may add to the risk of having a heart attack.

An article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has indicated that statins, which are usually prescribed to lower blood cholesterol levels, might reduce blood pressure in patients. The study, led by Beatrice A Golomb and conducted on 973 participants, demonstrated that there was a noticeable decline in blood pressure in patients taking statins, a drug that inhibits an enzyme involved in the synthesis of cholesterol.