Lipid-lowering treatment to the end? A review of observational studies and RCTs on cholesterol and mortality in 80+-year olds.
People aged 80 or older are the fastest growing population in high-income countries. One of the most common causes of death among the elderly is the cardiovascular disease (CVD). Lipid-lowering treatment is common, e.g. one-third of 75-84-year-old Swedes are treated with statins. The assumption that hypercholesterolaemia is a risk factor at the highest ages seems to be based on extrapolation from younger adults. A review of observational studies shows a trend where all-cause mortality was highest when total cholesterol (TC) was lowest ('a reverse J-shaped' association between TC and all-cause mortality). Low TC (<5.5 mmol/l) is associated with the highest mortality rate in 80+-year olds. No clear optimal level of TC was identified. A review of the few randomised controlled trials including 80+-year olds did not provide evidence of an effect of lipid-lowering treatment on total mortality in 80+-year-old people. There is not sufficient data to recommend anything regarding initiation or continuation of lipid-lowering treatment for the population aged 80+, with known CVD, and it is even possible that statins may increase all-cause mortality in this group of elderly individuals without CVD.
Research Unit of Epidemiology, Danish Aging Research Center, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. lkpetersen@health.sdu.dk
Line Kirkeby
LK
Petersen
Kaare
K
Christensen
Jakob
J
Kragstrup
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents