Statin therapy lowers the risk for vascular events in adults over age 70, according to a meta-analysis in The Lancet. However, the benefit seems apparent only in those with a history of vascular disease.
Researchers examined data from 28 randomized trials that either compared statin use with nonuse or compared intensive statin regimens with standard treatment. Over 185,000 participants were included, of whom 15% were age 71–75 and 8% were older than 75.
During roughly 5 years’ follow-up, statin use or intensive treatment was associated with a significant reduction in major vascular events across all age groups — overall, a 21% reduction in risk with each 1-mmol/L (39-mg/dL) decrease in LDL cholesterol. However, when stratified by history of vascular disease, a significant benefit among those aged 71 and older was limited to those with prior vascular disease.
The authors concluded that “Statin therapy produces significant reductions in major vascular events irrespective of age, but there is less direct evidence of benefit among patients older than 75 years who do not already have evidence of occlusive vascular disease. This limitation is now being addressed by further trials”.
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Source: NEJM and Lancet
