A new study by UC San Francisco has found that statins can help prevent disease in older adults but must be weighed against potentially serious side effects.
Amid a projected cost of almost $900 billion for cardiovascular disease over the next decade in the U.S., statins are used by nearly half the elderly population in the nation. But in spite of the widespread use, there has been little systematic scrutiny of the potential risks of the drugs in older adults and whether those side effects could offset cardiovascular and other health benefits.
A new study by UC San Francisco has found that statins can help prevent disease in older adults but must be weighed against potentially serious side effects.
Amid a projected cost of almost $900 billion for cardiovascular disease over the next decade in the U.S., statins are used by nearly half the elderly population in the nation. But in spite of the widespread use, there has been little systematic scrutiny of the potential risks of the drugs in older adults and whether those side effects could offset cardiovascular and other health benefits.
For the statin study, the researchers used a computer simulation model that explored whether statins should be routinely administered to adults 75 or older to prevent heart disease.
They found a tenuous balance: on the one hand, the results showed “tremendous” potential health benefits to be gained including far fewer heart attacks. On the other hand, potential side effects that may have particular consequences in the elderly – including muscle pain and weakness or mild declines in cognitive function – could offset those gains.
“There’s been a lot of uncertainty over the use of statins in older adults,” said senior author Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, a professor of medicine, epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSF. She is also director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations at San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.
“Prior studies have favored statin use because of the clear benefits to the heart and because serious side effects are rare,” said Bibbins-Domingo. “Unfortunately, we don’t have enough studies in older adults, and as a result don’t know enough about how common or how severe the side effects are. Our study showed that in older adults, even small increases in functional limitations and mild cognitive impairments from statin use could result in net harm.”
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Read more at UCSF.
