Background and aims: Limited data is available on the benefit of statin for primary prevention in the elderly. The aim of this study is to investigate whether statin for primary prevention is effective in lowering the cardiovascular risk and all-cause death in individuals aged >75 years.
Methods: This was a retrospective, propensity score-matched study and data were acquired between 2005 and 2016 in a tertiary university hospital. Of the 6414 patients screened, 1559 statin-naïve patients without a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease before the index visit were included. After propensity score matching, 1278 patients (639 statin users, 639 statin non-users) were finally analyzed. Primary outcome variables included major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) and all-cause death. MACCE included cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, and nonfatal stroke or transient ischemic attack.
Results: At a median follow-up of 5.2 years, statin users had lower rates of MACCE (2.15 vs. 1.25 events/100 person-years; hazard ratio, 0.59; p = 0.005) and all-cause death (1.19 vs. 0.65 events/100 person-years; hazard ratio, 0.56; p = 0.02), as well as lower levels of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol than did non-users. The Kaplan-Meier curves revealed lower event rates in statin users (hazard ratio: 0.59 for MACCE and 0.56 for all-cause death). The incidence of myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization were lower in statin users.
Conclusions: Statin therapy for primary prevention was clearly associated with lower risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause death in individuals aged >75 years. These results support more active statin use in this population.
Keywords: Asia; Atherosclerosis; Coronary artery disease; Lipoprotein; Prognosis.
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