Health
Trial finds daily statins safely cut cardiovascular risk in healthy adults over 70
A decade-long Australian study showed a 30% reduction in first-time major cardiac events, though overall disability-free survival remained unchanged.
The short version
- A decade-long randomized controlled trial led by Monash University researchers found that daily statin use reduced the risk of a first major cardiovascular event by 30% in healthy adults aged 70 and older.
- The study observed a low risk of serious side effects and found no statistically significant difference in dementia rates between participants taking statins and those receiving a placebo.
- Despite the reduction in heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac surgeries, taking statins did not improve overall disability-free survival or extend life quality compared to the placebo.
- Researchers hope the findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, will prompt updated clinical guidelines for older populations.
Key facts
- The decade-long study involved nearly 10,000 participants aged 70 and over who had no prior history of heart attack, stroke, or heart surgery.[The Guardian]
- Researchers found that daily statins reduced the risk of a first major cardiovascular event by 30%, equivalent to preventing one event for every 37 older adults treated over nearly six years.[The Guardian]
- More than 15% of trial participants discontinued their statin medication during the study.[The Guardian]
- The study recorded no significant difference in dementia rates or overall disability-free survival between those given statins and those given a placebo.[The Guardian]
- The trial was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Cardiologist James Chong noted that because the trial cohort was almost exclusively white with a mean age of roughly 75, the results may require further supporting evidence to confirm global generalizability.[The Guardian]