Over-75s who come off statins raise risk of heart attacks by 50%
‘Keep on with treatment’
ELDERLY people who stop taking statins put themselves at a 50 per cent greater risk of a heart attack, a major study shows.
Healthy over-75s dramatically increase their likelihood of suffering a stroke or heart disease if they come off the pills.
french researchers tracked 120,000 patients who had been taking statins to lower cholesterol for two years and had no history of heart disease.
They found that those who stopped taking the pills for at least three months were a third more likely to be admitted to hospital within the next two-and-a-half years.
Their risk of having a heart attack was 46 per cent higher, while the likelihood of a stroke increased by 26 per cent.
All over-75s in the UK are eligible to take statins even if they are in perfect health.
Study lead Dr Philippe Giral said: ‘To patients, we would say that if you regularly take statins for high cholesterol, we would recommend you don’t stop the treatment when you are 75 years old.’
Roughly six million Britons take statins at the cost of just £20 a year per patient.
The drugs, which prevent 80,000 heart attacks and strokes a year, are designed to cut levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol in the blood, helping to clear fat from the arteries.
The NHS’s approach – known as primary prevention – means anybody with a 10 per cent chance of suffering heart disease within ten years should have the medication.
Old age puts people at a greater risk of heart attack, so all over-75s and most over-60s are eligible for the pills.
Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director of the British Heart foundation, said: ‘Old age itself – particularly reaching the age of 75 and above – puts people at increased risk of a heart attack or stroke. This risk can be heightened by facthey tors such as high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure, even in those who are otherwise seemingly healthy.
‘This study, although observational, adds to a growing body of evidence showing statins reduce heart attacks and strokes in older people, as do in younger people, and are safe.’
The researchers analysed medical records of patients who turned 75 between 2012 and 2014, using data from the french national insurance database. They said it is an observational study and cannot show that discontinuing statins causes a heart attack or stroke, only that it is associated with this.
The study, published today in the European Heart Journal, concluded: ‘The results suggest potential cardiovascular risk reduction associated with continuing statin therapy after the age of 75 years in persons already taking these drugs.’
Statins are the world’s most commonly prescribed drug. They are proven to help heart patients, but some experts say the percentage thresholds for prescribing them are too high, meaning side effects could outweigh benefits for many.