Statin therapy in the elderly.
OBJECTIVE
The clinical efficacy and safety of statin therapy have been well established from a series of large-scale, randomized controlled trials. These trials, however, have predominantly recruited patients under the age of 70 years. As a consequence, the use of statins in older patients has remained controversial.


RESULTS
The results of the first trial to look exclusively at the elderly--the Prospective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk--have added enormously to our understanding of the use of statins in the elderly. These findings, together with those from the large elderly cohort within the Heart Protection Study and the smaller elderly subgroups within the other major statin trials, have forced us to re-evaluate any systematic exclusion of elderly patients from statin therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
The collective evidence now strongly supports the use of statins in the at-risk elderly population.
Mungall
Moira M B
MM
Clinical Trials Unit, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Glasgow, UK.
Gaw
Allan
A
D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012306:Risk
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors