Statins for Primary Prevention in Adults Aged 75 Years or Older
Authors: Jennifer G. Robinson
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2015)

Letters15 September 2015Statins for Primary Prevention in Adults Aged 75 Years or OlderJennifer G. Robinson, MD, MPHJennifer G. Robinson, MD, MPHFrom University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L15-5135 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:Odden and colleagues (1) did not include stroke in their estimate of the cost-effectiveness of statins for primary prevention in adults aged 75 years or older. This results in an underestimate of the benefits of statins in this age group and an overestimate of their costs. Stroke increases dramatically with advancing age and accounts for a large proportion of cardiovascular events in this population (2).The amount by which statins reduce the risk for ischemic stroke is similar to that for coronary heart disease (CHD) (3). The costs of nonfatal strokes are high, including those for prolonged ...References1. Odden MC, Pletcher MJ, Coxson PG, Thekkethala D, Guzman D, Heller D, et al. Cost-effectiveness and population impact of statins for primary prevention in adults aged 75 years or older in the United States. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162:533-41. [PMID: 25894023] doi:10.7326/M14-1430 LinkGoogle Scholar2. Mozaffarian D, Benjamin EJ, Go AS, Arnett DK, Blaha MJ, Cushman M, et al; American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee.. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2015 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2015;131:e29-322. [PMID: 25520374] doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000152 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Baigent C, Blackwell L, Emberson J, Holland LE, Reith C, Bhala N, et al; Cholesterol Treatment Trialists (CTT) Collaboration.. Efficacy and safety of more intensive lowering of LDL cholesterol: a meta-analysis of data from 170,000 participants in 26 randomised trials. Lancet. 2010;376:1670-81. [PMID: 21067804] doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61350-5 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Stone NJ, Robinson JG, Lichtenstein AH, Bairey Merz CN, Blum CB, Eckel RH, et al; American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines.. 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the treatment of blood cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;63:2889-934. [PMID: 24239923] doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2013.11.002 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L15-0321. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoCost-Effectiveness and Population Impact of Statins for Primary Prevention in Adults Aged 75 Years or Older in the United States Michelle C. Odden , Mark J. Pletcher , Pamela G. Coxson , Divya Thekkethala , David Guzman , David Heller , Lee Goldman , and Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo Statins for Primary Prevention in Adults Aged 75 Years or Older Marcus M. Reidenberg Statins for Primary Prevention in Adults Aged 75 Years or Older Michelle C. Odden , Lee Goldman , and Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo Statins for Primary Prevention in Adults Aged 75 Years or Older Marcus M. Reidenberg Statins for Primary Prevention in Adults Aged 75 Years or Older Michelle C. Odden , Lee Goldman , and Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo Metrics 15 September 2015Volume 163, Issue 6Page: 481KeywordsCardiovascular diseasesDisclosureHospitalizationsIschemic strokeLong-term careMyocardial infarctionStatinsStroke ePublished: 15 September 2015 Issue Published: 15 September 2015 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2015 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...