While, in recent years, statins have been the subject of increased mistrust, researchers are bringing new elements likely to shed light on the prescription of these anti-cholesterol drugs.
- Statins (or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) are a class of lipid-lowering drugs used as drugs to lower blood cholesterol.
- Consumed by 220 million patients, statins are among the best-selling drugs in the world.
Should older people with cholesterol be kept on statins? To answer this question which divides the medical profession, researchers conducted a large-scale test, whose results have just been published in JAMA.
A five-year follow-up
“Statin use is common among older people,” explain the scientists in the introduction. “But uncertainties about its long-term benefits are leading some doctors to consider stopping this treatment, even though there is little evidence to support this decision,” they continue.
To overcome this lack of data, they analyzed the medical evolution of 67,418 Danes treated for more than five years with statins. All were aged 75 and over, and were followed from 2011 to 2016. Some had a history of cardiovascular disease, others did not. The goal was “to assess the association between stopping statins and the rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), for example myocardial infarction or stroke”, say the scientists.
A significantly higher rate of serious cardiovascular problems
Result: regardless of the medical history of the members of the cohort, stopping statins was associated with a significantly higher rate of serious cardiovascular problems compared to continuing treatment. “Stronger evidence is needed to draw firm conclusions from these results.” However, the researchers cautiously conclude, advocating for the launch of new randomized clinical trials.
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