Statins Reduce CVD Risk By More Than 20% In Elderly Patients

Contents

Objectives of the study Study approach and its findings

A recent study provides evidence of its benefits Statins Use in older patients, resolving previous doubts in previous reports, and providing comprehensive conclusions. Strong evidence suggests that continuing statin treatment results in a significant reduction in relative risk Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) 21% for individuals aged 75-84 years and 35% for those aged 85 years and above, with no safety issues. Researchers from HKUMed and Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health recently presented this study (1 reliable source
Benefits and risks associated with statin therapy for primary prevention in older and very old adults: real-world evidence from the TARGET trial simulation study

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) This groundbreaking research is a major achievement, as it provides real-life data on statin use in elderly individuals using progressive analytical procedures. The results were released in the journal, Annals of Internal Medicine,

'Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are responsible for the most deaths worldwide, claiming approximately 17.9 million lives each year. #statin #Cardiovasculardisease #medindia'
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Objectives of the study

CVD is a significant burden on healthcare globally, particularly among older populations. Effective management of high cholesterol plays a key role in preventing CVD. The most recent 'Population Health Survey' conducted in Hong Kong showed that 65.6% of individuals aged 65–84 years have high cholesterol levels.

Statins are prescribed to reduce the risk of CVD-related illness and death due to their beneficial effects on lipid levels. Anti-inflammatory propertiesand the ability to stabilize plaque formation (2 reliable source
Use of statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults

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Despite the long-standing use of statins to enhance lipid profiles and reduce CVD risk, there remains a lack of consensus in current international clinical guidelines regarding their use for primary prevention in patients aged 75 years and older. Uncertainty regarding statin use in this demographic is partly due to the limited representation of elderly individuals in randomized controlled trials (RCTs), leaving this important clinical issue unresolved in real-world scenarios. This research used real-world data to assess the long-term benefits and drawbacks of statin therapy in primary prevention among older adults, helping to inform decisions about statin initiation in this growing population.

Study approach and its findings

The study was led by Professor Eric Wan Yuk-fai and his research team at the Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care at the School of Clinical Medicine and the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy at HKUMed. The team evaluated electronic medical records of more than 80,000 elderly individuals in Hong Kong from January 2008 to December 2018 who had suboptimal lipid levels and high-risk conditions such as diabetes or other risk factors for CVD. The research focused on the correlation between statin therapy and the incidence of cardiovascular disease in this specific group, using a unique analytical method called target trial simulation. This method incorporated important elements of randomized controlled trials into the study design for observational studies, and it effectively reduced the biases commonly found in traditional observational research.

The results of the study show that consistent use of statins reduced the relative risk of CVD by 21% and the absolute risk by 5% over five years for individuals aged 75-84 years. For people aged 85 years and older, the relative risk reduction was even more significant at 35%, while the absolute risk decreased by 12.5% after five years. In addition, the research showed no increased risk of major adverse events such as liver dysfunction or myopathy associated with statin use in this particular group.

The research verified the benefits and safety of statins for primary prevention of CVD in older individuals, indicating that age should not be a determining factor for high-risk patients when it comes to the benefits of statin treatment. With the increasing prevalence of CVD in elderly populations worldwide, this study provides sufficient evidence to support the use of statin therapy for primary prevention of CVD in this vulnerable group.

Professor Cindy Lam Lo-kuen, Danny DB Ho Professor in Family Medicine, Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine, HKUMed, said: 'These findings have important implications for informing clinical decisions regarding initiation of statin therapy for this growing elderly population group.' 'This study has also pioneered a new research methodology to explore many more important but unanswered clinical questions relating to elderly care in real-world practice.'

The effective use of target test simulation in addressing this research question provides insights for future studies in geriatric medicine.

Professor Eric Wan Yuk-Fai emphasised that, 'the older population, particularly very old adults, are generally under-represented in RCTs, leading to a lack of high-quality evidence on treatments for this specific population group.'

'The innovative approach adopted in this study has the potential to generate high-quality evidence in the field of geriatric medicine, increasing our understanding and improving healthcare outcomes for older populations.'

Reference:

Benefits and risks associated with statin therapy for primary prevention in older and very old adults: real-world evidence from the TARGET trial simulation study – (https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M24-0004)