title: Cardiovascular risk profile and use of statins at the age of 70 years: a comparison of two Finnish birth cohorts born 20 years apart.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to compare cardiovascular morbidity and risk factor profiles of two 70-year-old cohorts of Finns examined in 1991 and 2011 and to describe prevalence of statin use according to cardiovascular risk in the later cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  1920-born cohort of community-dwelling 70-year-old persons (n = 1032) participated in comprehensive health surveys, physical and laboratory examinations in the Turku Elderly Study (TUVA) during 1991-92. In 2011, identical examination pattern was performed, in a 1940-born cohort of 70-year-old persons (n = 956) from the same area. Prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and risk factors in the two cohorts was compared. Further, each cohort was divided into three cardiovascular risk groups (high, moderate and low) based on their estimated risk. Prevalence of statin use was calculated among each risk group in the 1940 cohort.
  
  
  RESULTS
  coronary heart disease (25 versus 11%) and peripheral artery disease (9 versus 2%) were more common in the 1920 than 1940 cohort, respectively. Lipid profile was worse and blood pressure higher in the earlier cohort, whereas use of statins and antihypertensives was more common in the later cohort. Forty-two per cent of the 1920 cohort and 29% of the 1940 cohort were estimated to have high cardiovascular risk. In the 1940 cohort, a total of 36% used statins. Statin use was most common among high-risk persons.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  seventy-year olds examined in 2011 had less CVD morbidity than their counterparts 20 years earlier, and their cardiovascular risk factors were better controlled which is reflected in higher use of preventive medications, such as statins and antihypertensives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Turku City Hospital and University of Turku, Turku FIN-20700, Finland.
authors.forename: Eveliina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Upmeier
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Turku City Hospital and University of Turku, Turku FIN-20700, Finland.
authors.forename: Jenni
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vire
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Drug Development and Therapeutics, University of Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Maarit Jaana
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Korhonen
authors.affiliation: Statcon Ltd, Salo, Finland.
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Isoaho
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Turku City Hospital and University of Turku, Turku FIN-20700, Finland.
authors.forename: Aapo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lehtonen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, Turku City Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Seija
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arve
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Turku City Hospital and University of Turku, Turku FIN-20700, Finland.
authors.forename: Maarit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wuorela
authors.affiliation: Statcon Ltd, Salo, Finland Division of Clinical Geriatrics, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viitanen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011314:Preventive Health Services; D065840:Protective Factors; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D008055:Lipids
keywords: cardiovascular; cohort; older people; statins