title: JCL roundtable: lipid-lowering drugs in those older than 75 years of age.
abstract: Using drugs in the elderly requires some special considerations; however, there is no question that our older patients benefit tremendously from the use of agents that prevent and/or control many of the risk factors for vascular disease that are most prevalent in the latter years of life. Recently, the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association issued guidelines for the management of blood cholesterol elevations. For the first time, little specific guidance was given for the age group older than 75 years of age. The rationale given for this approach was primarily that the data from randomized trials comparing drug therapy to treatment with placebos were inadequate for such recommendations. There was also concern regarding safety in this group. This Roundtable will consider this lack of recommendations in a broader context than statin trials.
authors.affiliation: Emory University School of Medicine, 3208 Habersham Rd., NW, Atlanta, GA 30305, USA. Electronic address: wbrow925@bellsouth.net.
authors.forename: W Virgil
authors.initials: WV
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, 701 19th St. S., LHRB 310, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Vera A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Bittner
authors.affiliation: National Clinical Research, 2809 Emerywood Pky. #140, Richmond, VA 23294, USA.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McKenney
authors.affiliation: Florida Lipid Institute, 2828 Casa Aloma Way, Ste. 600, Winter Park, FL 32792, USA.
authors.forename: Paul E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Ziajka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000572:American Heart Association; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005104:Expert Testimony; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Atherosclerosis; Blood cholesterol; Elderly population; Lipid drugs; Vascular disease