Till now, it was unclear if statins – generally prescribed for top ldl cholesterol in folks as much as age 75 to decrease coronary heart assault and stroke danger – have been efficient in older folks.
However final week, analysis from Monash College, printed in The New England Journal of Medication and offered on the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2026, in Munich, discovered that statin remedy truly decreased the danger of a primary main cardiovascular occasion by 30% for independently-living adults older than 70.
The Statins in Decreasing Occasions within the Aged (STAREE) Trial is the primary randomised managed trial of statin remedy to look at whether or not the medication may assist older individuals who have traditionally been neglected in medical trials.
This landmark 10-year trial analysed the cardiovascular outcomes of almost 10 000 individuals whereas they took both a statin or a placebo.
Lead researcher Adjunct Professor Sophia Zoungas, from the Monash Faculty of Public Well being and Preventive Medication, mentioned the findings will change how clinicians handle cardiovascular danger in older folks.
“What we hope to see, now that now we have supplied such sturdy proof, are up to date remedy tips to assist clinicians make use of this new discovering,” she mentioned.
The international prevalence of heart problems is predicted to nearly double from 600m in 2025 to greater than 1bn in 2050.
Yearly, an estimated 21 000 older Australians expertise main cardiovascular occasions, like coronary heart assaults and strokes. The danger will increase with age, so over-70s are routinely in a high-risk class no matter life-style or different components.
Co-author Professor Mark Nelson, a outstanding normal practitioner, adjunct professor on the Monash Faculty of Public Well being and Preventive Medication and analysis fellow at Menzies Institute for Medical Analysis on the College of Tasmania, mentioned that is crucial proof to assist GPs of their decision-making round cardiovascular well being in older folks.
“This was a very vital trial as a result of it was carried out locally, with greater than 3 400 GPs participating throughout Australia,” he mentioned.
The STAREE trial is without doubt one of the largest CVD prevention trials ever carried out in older folks, inserting Australia on the international forefront of wholesome ageing analysis.
Research particulars
Atorvastatin, cardiovascular occasions, and disability-free survival in older adults
Sophia Zoungas, Rory Wolfe, Chris Moran et al.
Revealed in The New England Journal of Medication on 28 August 2026
Summary
Background
The effectiveness and security of statins for the first prevention of cardiovascular occasions and the extension of disability-free survival amongst older adults stay unsure.
Strategies
We carried out a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial at normal medical practices throughout Australia. Group-dwelling adults at the very least 70 years of age with no historical past of heart problems, diabetes, or dementia have been randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to obtain atorvastatin at a dose of 40 mg as soon as each day or equivalent placebo. The 2 main finish factors have been a composite of loss of life from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke, or coronary revascularization (to evaluate results on main cardiovascular occasions) and a composite of loss of life from any trigger, dementia, or persistent bodily incapacity (to evaluate results on disability-free survival). Analyses have been carried out in accordance with a hierarchical testing plan.
Outcomes
A complete of 9971 individuals have been enrolled: 4984 have been assigned to obtain atorvastatin and 4987 to obtain placebo. The imply (±SD) age of the individuals was 74.7±4.5 years, and 51.9% have been girls. After a median of 5.9 years, a main cardiovascular occasion had occurred in 297 individuals (10.9 occasions per 1000 person-years) within the atorvastatin group and in 412 individuals (15.5 occasions per 1000 person-years) within the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61 to 0.82; P<0.001). Dying from any trigger, dementia, or persistent bodily incapacity occurred in 637 individuals (21.6 occasions per 1000 person-years) within the atorvastatin group and in 676 individuals (23.0 occasions per 1000 person-years) within the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.05; P=0.25). Critical hostile occasions occurred in 131 individuals (2.7%) within the atorvastatin group and in 129 (2.7%) within the placebo group, with musculoskeletal, hepatobiliary, and diabetes-related hostile occasions occurring extra generally within the atorvastatin group.
Conclusions
Remedy with atorvastatin led to a decrease danger of main cardiovascular occasions than placebo at a median of 5.9 years however didn’t end in longer disability-free survival amongst community-dwelling older adults with out medical heart problems.
See extra from MedicalBrief archives:
Statins don’t reduce CVD risk in healthy older people
Why statins are good for over-70s – Oxford study
Fewer people may need statins to prevent heart disease – US study
