title: Statin use and pain in older people with cancer: a cross-sectional study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate statin use and pain in people with cancer aged 70 to 79 and 80 and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical oncology outpatient clinic at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals aged 70 and older who presented consecutively between January 2009 and June 2010 (n = 385), of whom 106 were aged 80 and older.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants completed a structured data collection instrument, documenting medication use, comorbidities and a general pain assessment (10-point visual analogue scale (VAS)). Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression was used to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for factors associated with statin use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of statin use was 35% (n = 97) in people aged 70 to 79 and 39% (n = 41) in those aged 80 and older. After adjusting for age, sex, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and analgesic use, statin use was associated with self-reported pain (VAS ≥ 5) (OR = 4.09, 95% CI = 1.32-12.68) in people aged 80 and older but not in those aged 70 to 79. Half of participants using statins (51% n = 70) had a palliative treatment approach. Of the 41 statin users aged 80 and older, 20 (49%) were using statins for primary prevention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of statin use was similar in people aged 70 to 79 years and those aged 80 and older, with statin use associated with self-reported pain in people aged 80 and older. This highlights a potential benefit of "deprescribing" statins in older people with cancer, especially those aged 80 and older.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Justin P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Sepehr
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shakib
authors.forename: Nimit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singhal
authors.forename: Jonathon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hogan-Doran
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prowse
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johns
authors.forename: Tilenka
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Thynne
authors.forename: J Simon
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D064232:Visual Analog Scale
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
keywords: HMG-CoA; aged; aged 80 and older; deprescribe; geriatric oncology; statins