Major trauma in elderly adults receiving lipid-lowering medications.
BACKGROUND
Some clinical trials, laboratory experiments, and in vitro studies suggest that lipid-lowering medications predispose a person to traumatic injury.


METHODS
We used population-based administrative database analysis to study adults age 65 years or more over a 5-year interval (n = 1,348,259).


RESULTS
About 12% of the cohort received a prescription for a lipid-lowering medication and about 88% did not. The two groups had similar distributions of age, gender, and income. Overall, 2,557 (0.2%) were hospitalized for major trauma. Those who received a lipid-lowering medication were 39% less likely to sustain a major trauma than those who did not receive such medication (95% confidence interval, 29 to 47). Similar results were observed after adjustment for age, gender, and income; cardiac and neurologic medications; and lethality. No other cardiac or neurologic medication was associated with an apparent safety advantage.


CONCLUSIONS
Lipid-lowering medications do not lead to a clinically important increase in the absolute risk of major trauma for elderly patients in the community.
Redelmeier
D A
DA
Department of Medicine at the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. dae@ices.on.ca
Naylor
C D
CD
Brenneman
F D
FD
Sharkey
P W
PW
Juurlink
D N
DN
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015982:Bias; D015897:Comorbidity; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents