title: Statins in the elderly: an answered question?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A strong potential exists for greater promotion of statin therapy among the over-70 age group on the basis of their high absolute cardiovascular risk. However, the evidence for this approach is currently unclear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Meta-analysis of trials highlights the uncertainty about the efficacy of statins in the prevention of major vascular events and all-cause mortality in the elderly. This stems from inadequate numbers of participants from this age group included in previous randomized clinical trials. Adverse effects of statins are likely to be greater in the elderly, but their frequency is uncertain and their contribution to frailty and loss of independence in the elderly has been little studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Real world trials examining the impact of statin therapy in the elderly are now called for.
authors.affiliation: aSchool of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne bThe George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zoungas
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Curtis
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tonkin
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McNeil
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002423:Cause of Death; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011157:Population Dynamics; D018570:Risk Assessment
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors