Statin recommendations widened, new guidelines

For those older than 75, the USPSTF concluded that there was insufficient evidence to recommend starting statins in those age 76 and older without a history of heart attack or stroke.

However, in an editorial accompanying the recommendations, cardiologists Philip Greenland and Robert Bonow of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine noted that for

75-year-olds already taking statins “it is not necessary to stop statin therapy when [they] turn 76.” Bonow, a professor of medicine at Northwestern and a past president of the American

Heart Association, emphasized that the new guidelines are not saying that everyone over 40 should be on statins. “It’s not quite time to put statins in the drinking water,” he cautioned.

“But for older adults, it’s important to know your risk and to have a discussion with your doctor about your test results and other factors like family history. For the right individual,

statins can be very beneficial.” The recommendations came a day after a new study reported that taking statins may help patients survive cardiac arrest. Researchers in Taiwan analyzed the

medical records of 138,000 cardiac arrest patients and found that those already using statins like Lipitor (atorvastatin) or Crestor (rosuvastatin) were 50 percent more likely to be alive a

year after hospitalization for cardiac arrest. The greatest survival benefit from statins was seen in patients with type 2 diabetes, the researchers said. Statins prevent the formation of

cholesterol in the liver by blocking an enzyme responsible for producing cholesterol. More than one in four Americans over 40 are taking statins, according to the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, but half of Americans with elevated cholesterol readings are not, perhaps because of the drug’s side effects, which can include muscle pain and increased blood sugar. Task

force recommendations are generally followed in determining coverage by Medicare and insurance companies. In the case of statins, this would apply to the use of the drug by those who are 40

to 75 years old with one or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease and who have a 10 percent or greater risk — but not those with 7.5 to 10 percent risk, according to the Post.