Update on Hyperlipidemia in the Elderly: Is This a Risk Factor for Heart Disease?
Results concerning the utility of lipid screening in the elderly are conflicting. Many studies have shown no association between total cholesterol measurements in the elderly and the development of coronary heart disease (CHD). Several recent investigations, with a few exceptions, have demonstrated that high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and the total/HDL-C ratio are, however, effective markers for CHD in older populations. Although the relative risk associated with lipid measurements tends to decline in older persons, the attributable risk for CHD associated with higher cholesterol and lower HDL-C tends to be greater in older persons because of a greater number of events in this population. Clinical trials with modern lipid-lowering agents have demonstrated efficacy and safety in middle-aged subjects with the newer medications, and it is time to consider a lipid altering clinical trial specifically targeted to persons over the age of 65 years to determine whether morbidity and mortality can be reduced.
Kannel
William B.
WB
Department of Medicine, Section of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Evans Memorial Research Foundation, Boston University School of Medicine/Framingham Heart Study, Boston, MA.
Wilson
Peter W.F.
PW