Statins associated with decreased risk for cardiovascular disease and death, even in very old adults

A study of adults aged 60 years and older found that the use of statin therapy as primary cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention was effective for preventing CVD and all-cause mortality, even in adults aged 85 years and older. The study is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from the University of Hong Kong used a target trial emulation design to investigate the relationship between statin therapy and CVD risk using electronic health records (EHRs) from the Hong Kong Hospital Authority.

The study included adult patients over 60 without preexisting diagnosed CVDs who met indications for statin treatment from January 2008 to December 2015. Patients with prior statin use, lipid-lowering drug use, cancer, myopathies, or liver dysfunction were excluded.

Statin therapy was defined as specific statin drugs, and outcomes included major CVDs, all-cause mortality, and adverse events. Follow-up was conducted until outcomes, death, loss to follow-up, or the end of the study.

The data showed that in all age groups, initiating statin therapy was associated with lower incidence of CVD and all-cause mortality, even among the older population aged 85 years or older. In addition, statin use did not increase the risk for adverse events, such as myopathies and liver dysfunction.