Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors

Geriatrics

Adults Aged 80 years or older

MeSH

Cardiovascular Disease

Statin Therapy for Primary Prevention and Clinical Outcomes in Adults Aged 80 and Older: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study

follow-up studies

RPR Commentary: Statins taken for primary prevention in adults over 80 were associated with a reduction in 4-year mortality rates of 31%. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Free full text

View

ABSTRACT Background: Evidence supporting the use of statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in individuals aged≥ 80 years remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term clinical benefits and safety of statins for primary prevention in patients aged 80 years and older. Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using electronic medical records and pharmacy dispensing data from Clalit Health Services in Israel, covering the period from January 2015 to December 2020. Patients aged ≥ 80 years without prior CVD who were persistent statin users were compared with similar patients not receiving statins. Exclusions included prior CVD, dialysis, or death within 1 year of follow-up. Outcomes included all-cause mortality, new coronary events, myopathy, dementia, and diabetes mellitus. Cox proportional hazards models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to assess the association between statin use and clinical outcomes. Results: Among 15,745 patients (mean age 84.5 years; 66% female), 8413 were statin users. Over a 4-year mean follow-up, statin use was associated with a 31% reduction in mortality (HR 0.69; 95% CI: 0.34–0.74; p < 0.001) and a 20% reduction in new coronary events (HR 0.80; 95% CI: 0.68–0.94; p = 0.008). No significant differences were observed in the incidence of myopathy, diabetes, or dementia. Benefits were not observed in patients who discontinued statins before age 80. Conclusions: In patients aged ≥ 80 years, statin therapy for primary prevention was associated with reduced all-cause mortality and coronary morbidity, without increased risk of adverse events. Early discontinuation diminished these benefits.

Author/s:

Wafaa Hamodi, Ophir Lavon, Samir Kassem

Statin Therapy for Primary Prevention and Clinical Outcomes in Adults Aged 80 and Older: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study

Nathan Hinkle — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:10:43 +0000

Date Added:

March 9, 2026

Journal/Publication:

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Publisher:

Wiley Periodicals LLC

Publication Date:

March 7, 2026

URL:

Type:

Clinical Research Results

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.70375Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Keywords

Geriatrics

Adults Aged 80 years or older

MeSH

Cardiovascular Disease

Statin Therapy for Primary Prevention and Clinical Outcomes in Adults Aged 80 and Older: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study

follow-up studies

RPR Commentary: Statins taken for primary prevention in adults over 80 were associated with a reduction in 4-year mortality rates of 31%. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Free full text

View

Author/s:

Wafaa Hamodi, Ophir Lavon, Samir Kassem

Statin Therapy for Primary Prevention and Clinical Outcomes in Adults Aged 80 and Older: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study

Nathan Hinkle — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 21:10:39 +0000

Date Added:

March 9, 2026

Journal/Publication:

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Publisher:

Wiley Periodicals LLC

Publication Date:

March 7, 2026

URL:

Type:

Clinical Research Results

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.70375Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

Keywords

Geriatrics

Adults Aged 80 years or older

MeSH

Cardiovascular Disease

Lipid-lowering therapies for cardiovascular disease prevention and management in primary care

follow-up studies

RPR Commentary: Statins taken for primary prevention in adults over 80 were associated with a reduction in 4-year mortality rates of 31%. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Free full text

View

Author/s:

Wafaa Hamodi, Ophir Lavon, Samir Kassem

Lipid-lowering therapies for cardiovascular disease prevention and management in primary care

Rowan Hutchins — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

October 15, 2023

Journal/Publication:

CFP

Publisher:

College of Family Physicians of Canada

Publication Date:

October 1, 2023

Issue:

Volume:

Pages:

701-711

URL:

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.46747/cfp.6910701

Keywords

randomised controlled trials

systematic review

PMID (1):

37833094

MeSH

PCSK9 Inhibitors

Transient ischemic attack and minor stroke: diagnosis, risk stratification and management

An analysis of the evidence of the impact of various lipid lowering strategies in cardiovascular events and mortality. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Free full text

View

Objective: To assess the benefits and harms of lipid-lowering therapies used to prevent or manage cardiovascular disease including bile acid sequestrants (BAS), ezetimibe, fibrates, niacin, omega-3 supplements, proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors, and statins.

Author/s:

Nicolas Dugré, Adrienne J. Lindblad, Danielle Perry, G. Michael Allan, Émélie Braschi, Jamie Falk, Liesbeth Froentjes, Scott R. Garrison, Jessica E.M. Kirkwood, Christina S. Korownyk

Transient ischemic attack and minor stroke: diagnosis, risk stratification and management

Aubrey Delammermore — Sat, 28 Jan 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

January 28, 2023

Journal/Publication:

CMAJ

Publisher:

CMA Impact

Publication Date:

October 11, 2022

Issue:

Volume:

194

Pages:

E1344-E1349

URL:

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1503/cmaj.220344

Keywords

PMID (1):

36220167

MeSH

ischemic attack, transient

Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors

antihypertensive agents

anticoagulants

Evidence-based guidance for evaluation and management of patients with suspected transient ischemic attack. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Free full text

View

Patients with suspected cerebral ischemia should be urgently assessed to distinguish between transient ischemic attack (TIA), minor stroke or mimics such as migraine, seizure, vertigo or syncope.

The Canadian TIA Score can be used to determine risk for early subsequent stroke in patients with a suspected TIA or minor stroke.

All patients with TIA or minor stroke should undergo urgent electrocardiography and computed tomography of the head.

Clinicians should order early vascular imaging for patients at moderate or high risk of subsequent stroke; urgent revascularization should be considered if there is more than 50% arterial stenosis congruent with symptom presentation.

Clinicians should prescribe dual antiplatelet drugs for high-risk patients, single antiplatelet agents for low-risk patients or direct oral anticoagulants for patients with atrial fibrillation.

All patients with TIA or minor stroke should be counselled about modifiable lifestyle factors (including smoking cessation), be treated with statins and take steps toward optimizing blood pressure, including treatment with antihypertensive drugs, if necessary.

Author/s:

Perry, J. J., Yadav, K., Syed, S., Shamy, M.

Evaluating the Association Between Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Reduction and Relative and Absolute Effects of Statin Treatment A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Saige Blanchard — Tue, 10 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

May 10, 2022

Journal/Publication:

JAMA Internal Medicine

Publisher:

American Medical Association

Publication Date:

March 14, 2022

Issue:

Volume:

182

Pages:

474-481

URL:

Evaluating the Association Between Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Reduction and Relative and Absolute Effects of Statin Treatment A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.0134

Keywords

PMID (1):

35285850

MeSH

Evaluating the Association Between Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Reduction and Relative and Absolute Effects of Statin Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

cholesterol

LDL

Numbers Needed to Treat

risk

Cl 22

Consensus

As for many of our most common interventions, the actual impact of statins on cardiovascular event rates and mortality are small unless the pre-intervention risk of such events is quite high or unless the intervention is reliably continued for long periods of time. As we knew, the effect of statins is not entirely related to LDL cholesterol reduction. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Commercial full text (fees may apply)

View

Importance: The association between statin-induced reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and the absolute risk reduction of individual, rather than composite, outcomes, such as all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, or stroke, is unclear.

Objective: To assess the association between absolute reductions in LDL-C levels with treatment with statin therapy and all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke to facilitate shared decision-making between clinicians and patients and inform clinical guidelines and policy.

Data sources: PubMed and Embase were searched to identify eligible trials from January 1987 to June 2021.

Study selection: Large randomized clinical trials that examined the effectiveness of statins in reducing total mortality and cardiovascular outcomes with a planned duration of 2 or more years and that reported absolute changes in LDL-C levels. Interventions were treatment with statins (3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors) vs placebo or usual care. Participants were men and women older than 18 years.

Data extraction and synthesis: Three independent reviewers extracted data and/or assessed the methodological quality and certainty of the evidence using the risk of bias 2 tool and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation. Any differences in opinion were resolved by consensus. Meta-analyses and a meta-regression were undertaken.

Main outcomes and measures: Primary outcome: all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes: myocardial infarction, stroke.

Findings: Twenty-one trials were included in the analysis. Meta-analyses showed reductions in the absolute risk of 0.8% (95% CI, 0.4%-1.2%) for all-cause mortality, 1.3% (95% CI, 0.9%-1.7%) for myocardial infarction, and 0.4% (95% CI, 0.2%-0.6%) for stroke in those randomized to treatment with statins, with associated relative risk reductions of 9% (95% CI, 5%-14%), 29% (95% CI, 22%-34%), and 14% (95% CI, 5%-22%) respectively. A meta-regression exploring the potential mediating association of the magnitude of statin-induced LDL-C reduction with outcomes was inconclusive.

Conclusions and relevance: The results of this meta-analysis suggest that the absolute risk reductions of treatment with statins in terms of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke are modest compared with the relative risk reductions, and the presence of significant heterogeneity reduces the certainty of the evidence. A conclusive association between absolute reductions in LDL-C levels and individual clinical outcomes was not established, and these findings underscore the importance of discussing absolute risk reductions when making informed clinical decisions with individual patients.

Author/s:

Byrne, P., Demasi, M., Jones, M., Smith, S. M., O'Brien, K. K., DuBroff, R.

Evaluating the Association Between Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Reduction and Relative and Absolute Effects of Statin Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Saige Blanchard — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

March 22, 2022

Journal/Publication:

JAMA Internal Medicine

Publisher:

American Medical Association

Publication Date:

March 14, 2022

URL:

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.0134

Keywords

PMID (1):

35285850

MeSH

male

female

Efficacy and safety of lowering LDL cholesterol in older patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

cholesterol, LDL

Numbers Needed to Treat

The relatively small reductions in risk of CV events and death by statins appears to be unrelated to LDL cholesterol lowering. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Commercial full text (fees may apply)

View

Data sources: PubMed and Embase were searched to identify eligible trials from January 1987 to June 2021.

Main outcomes and measures: Primary outcome: all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes: myocardial infarction, stroke.

Author/s:

Byrne, P., Demasi, M., Jones, M., Smith, S. M., O'Brien, K. K., DuBroff, R.

Efficacy and safety of lowering LDL cholesterol in older patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Devin Evans — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

November 23, 2020

Journal/Publication:

The Lancet

Publication Date:

November 21, 2020

Issue:

10263

Volume:

396

Pages:

1637-1643

URL:

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1016/S0140-6736(20)32332-1

Keywords

Cardiovascular Diseases

Clinical Protocols

cholesterol

PMID (1):

33186535

MeSH

cholesterol, LDL

Ezetimibe

Association of Statin Use With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in US Veterans 75 Years and Older

Lipids

Statins appear to be as effective for reducing CV events in those over 75 as in younger patients. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Free full text

View

Background: The clinical benefit of LDL cholesterol lowering treatment in older patients remains debated. We aimed to summarise the evidence of LDL cholesterol lowering therapies in older patients.

Methods: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE and Embase for articles published between March 1, 2015, and Aug 14, 2020, without any language restrictions. We included randomised controlled trials of cardiovascular outcomes of an LDL cholesterol-lowering drug recommended by the 2018 American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association guidelines, with a median follow-up of at least 2 years and data on older patients (aged ≥75 years). We excluded trials that exclusively enrolled participants with heart failure or on dialysis because guidelines do not recommend lipid-lowering therapy in such patients who do not have another indication. We extracted data for older patients using a standardised data form for aggregated study-level data. We meta-analysed the risk ratio (RR) for major vascular events (a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or other acute coronary syndrome, stroke, or coronary revascularisation) per 1 mmol/L reduction in LDL cholesterol.

Findings: Data from six articles were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis, which included 24 trials from the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' Collaboration meta-analysis plus five individual trials. Among 244 090 patients from 29 trials, 21 492 (8·8%) were aged at least 75 years, of whom 11 750 (54·7%) were from statin trials, 6209 (28·9%) from ezetimibe trials, and 3533 (16·4%) from PCSK9 inhibitor trials. Median follow-up ranged from 2·2 years to 6·0 years. LDL cholesterol lowering significantly reduced the risk of major vascular events (n=3519) in older patients by 26% per 1 mmol/L reduction in LDL cholesterol (RR 0·74 [95% CI 0·61-0·89]; p=0·0019), with no statistically significant difference with the risk reduction in patients younger than 75 years (0·85 [0·78-0·92]; pinteraction=0·37). Among older patients, RRs were not statistically different for statin (0·82 [0·73-0·91]) and non-statin treatment (0·67 [0·47-0·95]; pinteraction=0·64). The benefit of LDL cholesterol lowering in older patients was observed for each component of the composite, including cardiovascular death (0·85 [0·74-0·98]), myocardial infarction (0·80 [0·71-0·90]), stroke (0·73 [0·61-0·87]), and coronary revascularisation (0·80 [0·66-0·96]).

Interpretation: In patients aged 75 years and older, lipid lowering was as effective in reducing cardiovascular events as it was in patients younger than 75 years. These results should strengthen guideline recommendations for the use of lipid-lowering therapies, including non-statin treatment, in older patients.

Author/s:

Gencer, Baris, Marston, Nicholas A., Im, KyungAh, Cannon, Christopher P., Sever, Peter, Keech, Anthony, Braunwald, Eugene, Giugliano, Robert P., Sabatine, Marc S.

Association of Statin Use With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in US Veterans 75 Years and Older

Brian Desmarais — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 15:51:50 +0000

Date Added:

July 13, 2020

Journal/Publication:

Journal of the American Medical Association

Publisher:

JAMA Network

Publication Date:

July 7, 2020

Issue:

Volume:

324

Pages:

68-78

URL:

Type:

Clinical Research Results

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1001/jama.2020.7848

MeSH

Statin Use Over 65 Years of Age and All-Cause Mortality: A 10-Year Follow-Up of 19 518 People

primary prevention

Veterans

Arteriosclerosis

Cardiovascular System

risk

Additional evidence that statins taken for primary prevention helps old people (>75 years of age) live longer. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Free full text

View

Importance: Data are limited regarding statin therapy for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in adults 75 years and older.

Objective: To evaluate the role of statin use for mortality and primary prevention of ASCVD in veterans 75 years and older.

Design, setting, and participants: Retrospective cohort study that used Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data on adults 75 years and older, free of ASCVD, and with a clinical visit in 2002-2012. Follow-up continued through December 31, 2016. All data were linked to Medicare and Medicaid claims and pharmaceutical data. A new-user design was used, excluding those with any prior statin use. Cox proportional hazards models were fit to evaluate the association of statin use with outcomes. Analyses were conducted using propensity score overlap weighting to balance baseline characteristics.

Exposures: Any new statin prescription.

Main outcomes and measures: The primary outcomes were all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Secondary outcomes included a composite of ASCVD events (myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and revascularization with coronary artery bypass graft surgery or percutaneous coronary intervention).

Results: Of 326 981 eligible veterans (mean [SD] age, 81.1 [4.1] years; 97% men; 91% white), 57 178 (17.5%) newly initiated statins during the study period. During a mean follow-up of 6.8 (SD, 3.9) years, a total 206 902 deaths occurred including 53 296 cardiovascular deaths, with 78.7 and 98.2 total deaths/1000 person-years among statin users and nonusers, respectively (weighted incidence rate difference [IRD]/1000 person-years, -19.5 [95% CI, -20.4 to -18.5]). There were 22.6 and 25.7 cardiovascular deaths per 1000 person-years among statin users and nonusers, respectively (weighted IRD/1000 person-years, -3.1 [95 CI, -3.6 to -2.6]). For the composite ASCVD outcome there were 123 379 events, with 66.3 and 70.4 events/1000 person-years among statin users and nonusers, respectively (weighted IRD/1000 person-years, -4.1 [95% CI, -5.1 to -3.0]). After propensity score overlap weighting was applied, the hazard ratio was 0.75 (95% CI, 0.74-0.76) for all-cause mortality, 0.80 (95% CI, 0.78-0.81) for cardiovascular mortality, and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.91-0.94) for a composite of ASCVD events when comparing statin users with nonusers.

Conclusions and relevance: Among US veterans 75 years and older and free of ASCVD at baseline, new statin use was significantly associated with a lower risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Further research, including from randomized clinical trials, is needed to more definitively determine the role of statin therapy in older adults for primary prevention of ASCVD.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Djousse reported receiving grants from Merck. No other disclosures were reported.

Author/s:

Orkaby, A.R., Driver, J.A., Ho, Y., et al.

Statin Use Over 65 Years of Age and All-Cause Mortality: A 10-Year Follow-Up of 19 518 People

Brian Desmarais — Sat, 14 Mar 2020 20:02:11 +0000

Date Added:

March 14, 2020

Journal/Publication:

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Publication Date:

October 1, 2019

Issue:

Volume:

URL:

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines, Practice Management Reviews and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.16060

Keywords

all-cause mortality

cardiovascular events

hypercholesterolemia

older adults

primary prevention

MeSH

Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Therapies in Adult Patients With Exacerbation of COPD

Statins appear to significantly reduce all-cause mortality in patients over 65 and in those over 75 as well. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

View

Abstract

OBJECTIVES

As life expectancy continues to rise, the burden of cardiovascular disease among older people is expected to increase, making cardiovascular prevention in older people an issue of growing interest and public health importance. We aimed to explore the long‐term effects of adherence to statins on mortality and cardiovascular morbidity among older adults.

DESIGN

A historical population‐based cohort study using routinely collected data.

SETTING

Clalit Health Services Northern District.

PARTICIPANTS

We followed members of Clalit Health Services aged 65 years or older who were eligible for primary cardiovascular prevention for a period of 10 years.

MEASUREMENTS

We fitted Cox regression models to assess the association between the adherence to statin therapy and all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular morbidity, adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors and associated morbidity as time‐updated variables.

RESULTS

The analysis included 19 518 older adults followed during 10 years (median = 9.7 y). All‐cause mortality rates were 34% lower among those who had adhered to statin treatment, compared with those who had not (hazard ratio [HR] = .66; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .56‐.79). Adherence to statins was also associated with fewer atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events (HR = .80; 95% CI = .71‐.81). The benefit of statin use did not diminish among beyond age 75 and was evident for both women and men.

CONCLUSION

Adherence to statins may be associated with reduced mortality and cardiovascular morbidity among older adults, regardless of age and sex. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2038–2044, 2019

Author/s:

Eilat-Tsanani, S., Schonmann, Y., Mor, E.

Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Therapies in Adult Patients With Exacerbation of COPD: A Systematic Review

John Bayhi — Fri, 18 Oct 2019 13:01:46 +0000

Date Added:

October 18, 2019

Journal/Publication:

AHRQ Website

Publisher:

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Publication Date:

October 11, 2019

URL:

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.23970/AHRQEPCCER221

Keywords

copd

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

therapy

randomized control trial

systematic review

Key points are on page ii. Antibiotics and corticosteroids and some non-pharmacologic strategies are effective. We still don’t know the best corticosteroid dose or route. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Free full text

Objectives. To synthesize existing knowledge about the effectiveness and harms of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments for exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (ECOPD).

Data sources. Embase®, Epub Ahead of Print, In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, MEDLINE® Daily, MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Registrar of Controlled Trials, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus from database inception to January 2, 2019.

Review methods. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated pharmacologic intervention or nonpharmacologic interventions for ECOPD. The strength of evidence (SOE) was graded for critical final health outcomes.

Results. We included 98 RCTs (13,401 patients, mean treatment duration 9.9 days, mean followup 3.7 months). Final health outcomes, including mortality, resolution of exacerbation, hospital readmissions, repeat exacerbations, and need for intubation, were infrequently evaluated and often showed no statistically significant differences between groups. Antibiotic therapy increases the clinical cure rate and reduces the clinical failure rate regardless of the severity of ECOPD (moderate SOE). There is insufficient evidence to support a particular antibiotic regimen. Oral and intravenous corticosteroids improve dyspnea and reduce the clinical failure rate (low SOE). Despite the ubiquitous use of inhaled bronchodilators in ECOPD, we found only a small number of trials that assessed lung function tests, and not final health outcomes. The evidence is insufficient to support the effect of aminophyllines, magnesium sulfate, mucolytics, inhaled corticosteroids, inhaled antibiotics, 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor, and statins on final health outcomes. Titrated oxygen reduces mortality compared with high flow oxygen (low SOE). Low SOE suggested benefit from some nonpharmacologic interventions such as chest physiotherapy using vibration/percussion/massage or breathing technique (on dyspnea), resistance training (on dyspnea and quality of life), early pulmonary rehabilitation commenced before hospital discharge during the initial most acute phase of exacerbation rather than the convalescence period (on dyspnea) and whole body vibration training (on quality of life). Vitamin D supplementation may improve quality of life (low SOE).

Conclusions. Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common condition, the evidence base for most interventions in ECOPD remains limited. Systemic antibiotics and corticosteroids are associated with improved outcomes in mild and moderate to severe ECOPD. Titrated oxygen reduces mortality. Future research is required to assess the effectiveness of several emerging nonpharmacologic and dietary treatments.

Author/s:

Dobler, CC, Morrow, AS, Farah, MH, Beuschel, B, Majzoub, AM, Wilson, ME, Hasan, B, Seisa, MO, Daraz, L, Prokop, LJ, Murad, MH, Wang, Z

Diagnosis of osteoporosis in statin-treated patients is dose-dependent

Brian Desmarais — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 14:44:10 +0000

Date Added:

October 17, 2019

Journal/Publication:

Annals of Rheumatic Diseases

Publication Date:

September 16, 2019

URL:

Diagnosis of osteoporosis in statin-treated patients is dose-dependent

Type:

Clinical Research Results

DOI (1):

10.1136/annrheumdis-2019-215714.

Keywords

MeSH

Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases

Gonadal Steroid Hormones

Computers

osteoporosis

It was bound to happen now that most statins are generic, the adverse effects are going to be revealed. Apparently high-dose statins increase the likelihood of a subsequent osteoporosis diagnosis. Even though this is a cohort study, not an RCT, the dose response relationship makes the results more credible. James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Free full text

View

OBJECTIVE:

Whether HMG-CoA-reductase inhibition, the main mechanism of statins, plays a role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis, is not entirely known so far. Consequently, this study was set out to investigate the relationship of different kinds and dosages of statins with osteoporosis, hypothesising that the inhibition of the synthesis of cholesterol could influence sex-hormones and therefore the diagnosis of osteoporosis.

METHODS:

Medical claims data of all Austrians from 2006 to 2007 was used to identify all patients treated with statins to compute their daily defined dose averages of six different types of statins. We applied multiple logistic regression to analyse the dose-dependent risks of being diagnosed with osteoporosis for each statin individually.

RESULTS:

In the general study population, statin treatment was associated with an overrepresentation of diagnosed osteoporosis compared with controls (OR: 3.62, 95% CI 3.55 to 3.69, p<0.01). There was a highly non-trivial dependence of statin dosage with the ORs of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis was underrepresented in low-dose statin treatment (0-10 mg per day), including lovastatin (OR: 0.39, CI 0.18 to 0.84, p<0.05), pravastatin (OR: 0.68, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.89, p<0.01), simvastatin (OR: 0.70, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.86, p<0.01) and rosuvastatin (OR: 0.69, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.87, p<0.01). However, the exceeding of the 40 mg threshold for simvastatin (OR: 1.64, 95% CI 1.31 to 2.07, p<0.01), and the exceeding of a 20 mg threshold for atorvastatin (OR: 1.78, 95% CI 1.41 to 2.23, p<0.01) and for rosuvastatin (OR: 2.04, 95% CI 1.31 to 3.18, p<0.01) was related to an overrepresentation of osteoporosis.

CONCLUSION:

Our results show that the diagnosis of osteoporosis in statin-treated patients is dose-dependent. Thus, osteoporosis is underrepresented in low-dose and overrepresented in high-dose statin treatment, demonstrating the importance of future studies' taking dose-dependency into account when investigating the relationship between statins and osteoporosis.

Author/s:

Leutner, M., Matzhold, C., Bellach, L., Deischinger, C., Harreiter, J., Thurner, S., Klimek, P., Kautzky-Willer, A.

Association of Nonfasting vs Fasting Lipid Levels With Risk of Major Coronary Events in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial–Lipid Lowering Arm

Tracy Ashby — Thu, 30 May 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

May 30, 2019

Journal/Publication:

JAMA

Publisher:

American Medical Association

Publication Date:

May 28, 2019

URL:

Association of Nonfasting vs Fasting Lipid Levels With Risk of Major Coronary Events in the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial–Lipid Lowering Arm

Type:

Clinical Research Results

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0392

Keywords

PMID (1):

31135812

MeSH

fasting

2018 Cholesterol Clinical Practice Guidelines: Synopsis of the 2018 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Multisociety Cholesterol Guideline.

risk factors

cholesterol, LDL

myocardial infarction

coronary disease

For purposes of risk assessment and decisions about risk reduction, non-fasting lipid levels seem to be fine (no real need to obtain fasting lipid levels). James W. Mold, MD, MPH

Commercial full text (fees may apply)

View

IMPORTANCE:

Recent guidelines have recommended nonfasting for routine testing of lipid levels based on comparisons of nonfasting and fasting populations. However, no previous study has examined the association of cardiovascular outcomes with fasting vs nonfasting lipid levels measured in the same individuals.

OBJECTIVE:

To compare the association of nonfasting and fasting lipid levels with prospectively ascertained coronary and vascular outcomes and to evaluate whether a strategy of using nonfasting instead of fasting lipid level measurement would result in misclassification of risk for individuals undergoing evaluation for initiation of statin therapy.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS:

This post hoc prospective follow-up of a randomized clinical trial included 8270 of 10 305 participants from the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial-Lipid Lowering Arm (ASCOT-LLA) with nonfasting and fasting lipid levels measured 4 weeks apart (including 6855 participants with no prior vascular disease) (median follow-up, 3.3 years; interquartile range, 2.8-3.6 years). Data were collected from February 1, 1998, to December 31, 2002, and analyzed from February 1, 2016, to November 30, 2018. Multivariable Cox models, adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors, were calculated for 40-mg/dL (1-mmol/L) higher values of nonfasting and fasting lipids.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES:

The trial's primary end point consisted of major coronary events (nonfatal myocardial infarction [MI] and fatal coronary heart disease [212 events]). Secondary analyses examined atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events (including MI, stroke, and ASCVD death [351 events]).

RESULTS:

Among the 8270 participants (82.1% male; mean [SD] age, 63.4 [8.5] years), nonfasting samples had modestly higher triglyceride levels and similar cholesterol levels compared to fasting samples. Associations of nonfasting lipid levels with coronary events were similar to those for fasting lipid levels. For example, adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) per 40-mg/dL of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were 1.32 (95% CI, 1.08-1.61; P = .007) for nonfasting levels and 1.28 (95% CI, 1.07-1.55; P = .008) for fasting levels. For the primary prevention group, adjusted HRs were 1.42 (95% CI, 1.13-1.78; P = .003) for nonfasting levels and 1.37 (95% CI, 1.11-1.69; P = .003) for fasting levels. Results were consistent by randomized treatment arm (atorvastatin calcium, 10 mg/d, or placebo) and similar for ASCVD events. Concordance of fasting and nonfasting lipid levels for classifying participants into appropriate ASCVD risk categories was high (94.8%).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:

Measurement of nonfasting and fasting lipid levels yields similar results in the same individuals for association with incident coronary and ASCVD events. These results suggest that routine measurement of nonfasting lipid levels may help facilitate ASCVD risk screening and treatment, including consideration of when to initiate statin therapy.

Author/s:

Mora, Samia, Chang, C. Lan, Moorthy, M. Vinayaga, Sever, Peter S.

2018 Cholesterol Clinical Practice Guidelines: Synopsis of the 2018 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology/Multisociety Cholesterol Guideline

Tracy Ashby — Wed, 29 May 2019 05:00:00 +0000

Date Added:

May 29, 2019

Journal/Publication:

Annals of Internal Medicine

Publisher:

The American College of Physicians

Publication Date:

May 28, 2019

URL:

Type:

Meta-analyses, Reviews, and Guidelines

Format:

Article

DOI (1):

10.7326/M19-0365

Keywords

cholesterol

primary prevention

risk factors

PMID (1):

31132793

MeSH