Atorvastatin diminished main cardiovascular occasions by 30% in older individuals with out recognized heart problems, diabetes or dementia, however didn’t considerably enhance disability-free survival, based on outcomes offered in a Sizzling Line session right now at ESC Congress 2026 and printed concurrently within the New England Journal of Medication.
Statins are generally prescribed to handle excessive ldl cholesterol in individuals as much as 75 years of age resulting from their confirmed advantages in decreasing the danger of coronary heart assault and stroke. Nonetheless, till now, the danger−good thing about statins to stop cardiovascular occasions in older adults with out recognized heart problems, diabetes or dementia was unsure resulting from underrepresentation in main statin trials.
An estimated 21,000 older Australians endure from main cardiovascular occasions, like coronary heart assault and stroke, annually. The STAREE trial is the primary massive randomized managed trial to look at whether or not statins can be utilized for main prevention in older sufferers to assist them reside longer in good well being.”
Professor Sophia Zoungas, Lead Researcher, Monash College Faculty of Public Well being and Preventive Medication, Melbourne, Australia
STAREE was a double-blind trial performed amongst individuals aged 70 years and over with no historical past of scientific heart problems, diabetes or dementia recruited from Australian common observe. In whole, 9,971 members have been randomised (1:1) to oral atorvastatin 40 mg day by day or placebo. The research inhabitants had a imply age of 74.7 years and 52% have been ladies. The 2 main endpoints have been main cardiovascular occasions, outlined as cardiovascular loss of life, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke or coronary revascularisation, and disability-free survival, outlined as survival freed from dementia and bodily incapacity.
Over a median follow-up of 5.9 years, the researchers demonstrated that the danger of main cardiovascular occasions was diminished by 30% within the atorvastatin group in contrast with the placebo group (6.0% vs. 8.3%; hazard ratio [HR] 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61 to 0.82; p<0.001).
Nonetheless, the danger of loss of life, dementia or persistent bodily incapacity didn’t substantively differ between the 2 teams (12.8% vs. 13.6%; HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.84 to 1.05; p=0.25). Muscle, liver and diabetes-related adversarial occasions have been extra frequent within the atorvastatin group; nonetheless, all severe adversarial occasions have been unusual, occurring in 2.7% of members in each the atorvastatin and placebo teams.
“With the world’s inhabitants growing older at an unprecedented fee, answering elementary questions on wholesome longevity has turn into a common crucial,” defined Professor Zoungas. “The danger of coronary heart assault and stroke is a priority for older individuals and realizing there may be an efficient measure for decreasing that danger shall be an enormous reassurance to older individuals and their households. We hope to see up to date pointers to assist clinicians make use of those new findings,” she concluded.
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