Statinopause

Statins are the cornerstone of lipid-lowering therapy for cardiovascular disease prevention. The 2013 American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines represent a fundamental shift in how statins will be prescribed. The new guidelines recommend statins for nearly all older patients up to age 75 years, including healthy adults with low normal lipid levels and no atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk factors other than age. Under the 2013 guidelines, age becomes a main determinant for initiating statin therapy for primary prevention among older adults. Specifically, according to the new guidelines, white males aged 63–75, white females aged 71–75, African American males aged 66–75, and African American females aged 70–75 with optimal risk factors would be recommended for statin treatment for primary prevention. Based on the new guidelines, one could term these older adults as having “statin deficiency,” a condition warranting statin treatment. We call this putative condition of age-related statin deficiency “statinopause.” After careful examination of the trial evidence, we find very little support for the new recommendations for primary prevention. The lack of evidence underscores the need for clinical trials to determine the risks and benefits of statin therapy for primary prevention among older adults.