title: Statin use in the elderly: results from a peripheral vascular survey in The Netherlands.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of death due to cardiovascular disease increases steeply in vascular surgery patients with increasing age. Observational data in coronary heart disease and heart failure patients suggest that elderly patients are less optimally treated compared to younger patients. The aim of this study was to examine the differences in clinical characteristics and medical therapy of the elderly compared to younger patients in vascular surgery. Furthermore, we assessed the effect of statins on 1-year mortality in an unselected patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on 711 consecutive peripheral vascular surgery patients were collected from 11 hospitals in The Netherlands in 2004. Elderly patients were defined as patients with an age above 70 years. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify clinical characteristics and medical therapy associated with older age. The effect of statins on 1-year mortality was assessed with Cox proportional hazard regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 67 +/- 10 years and 299 (42%) patients were older than 70 years of age. Elderly patients showed a significant higher cardiac risk profile according to the Lee Cardiac Risk Index (Lee-Index) (>/=2 risk factors: 50% vs 32% in younger patients, P < .001). Multivariable analysis showed that older patients presented with a significant higher Lee-Index, a higher incidence of cardiac arrhythmias (odds ratio [OR] = 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-3.3) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (OR = 2.8; 95% CI = 1.7-4.7). However, smoking (OR = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.3-0.7) was less common in the elderly. Statins were significantly less often prescribed in the elderly (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.4-0.8), although a beneficial effect of statins on 1-year mortality (HR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1-0.7) was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elderly patients undergoing vascular surgery had a higher cardiac risk profile than younger patients. Despite this high cardiac risk and the beneficial effect, our study demonstrated that statins were less often used in elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sanne E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hoeks
authors.forename: Wilma J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Scholte Op Reimer
authors.forename: Olaf
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schouten
authors.forename: Mattie J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lenzen
authors.forename: Hero
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Urk
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Poldermans
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D016491:Peripheral Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors