Should You Take Statins? The Surprising Benefit: Reduced Risk of Aging

Analysis of 980,000 U.S. Veterans
Average 5.3-Year Follow-Up
"Elderly Who Started Statin Therapy
Had a 24% Lower Risk of Frailty"

A study has found that elderly individuals taking statin-class cholesterol-lowering medications may have a reduced risk of frailty.

The photo is unrelated to the specific expressions in the article. Pixabay

On June 10 (local time), researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital in the United States published a paper in the European Heart Journal stating, "Older U.S. veterans who began statin therapy had a significantly lower risk of developing frailty compared to those who did not."

Frailty is characterized by muscle loss, fatigue, slow walking speed, and low levels of physical activity. Elderly individuals diagnosed with frailty are at higher risk of rapid functional decline even with minor illnesses or injuries. In the United States, the increasing number of older adults experiencing frailty is highlighting the growing need for preventive and treatment strategies.

The researchers noted that statins not only lower cholesterol but also have anti-inflammatory effects. They explained that these effects could help slow down biological aging and processes associated with functional decline.

Through a retrospective cohort study, the researchers analyzed Medicare and Medicaid data of 987,301 veterans who received care in the U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system from 2002 to 2018. At the start of the study, all participants were at least 67 years old, were not in a frail state, and were not taking statins. Frailty was assessed using the VA Frailty Index, which consists of 31 items.

During an average follow-up period of 5.3 years, 290,729 participants began statin therapy, and more than 636,000 progressed to a frail state.

After adjusting for various factors including body mass index (BMI), sex, race, smoking status, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, the analysis revealed that starting statin therapy was associated with a 24% lower risk of developing frailty compared to those who did not take statins.

This association was consistently observed across several subgroups, including older adults and those with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and dementia. A similar result was found among individuals who were in the "pre-frailty" stage at the beginning of the study. Based on these findings, the research team explained that statins may have a preventive effect even if they are not taken until well before the onset of full frailty.

Dr. Sadia Khazi, who led the research, stated, "Currently, there are no approved medications for the prevention of frailty. These study results suggest that statins can reduce the risk of frailty and help older adults maintain their health and independence."

Co-corresponding author Dr. Ariella Orcabi said, "Although randomized controlled clinical trials are needed, these observational study results indicate that statins may be useful for the prevention of frailty. Frailty and heart disease are known to share common mechanisms, and this study shows that managing those underlying causes may help prevent both conditions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.