Treatment of dyslipidaemia in the elderly

Abstract

Until recently, the benefits derived from treating dyslipidaemia in the elderly had not been established, as most trials demonstrating a reduction in events related to coronary heart disease have been biased towards younger patients. However, there is now evidence to suggest that age alone should no longer be considered a barrier to the instigation of lipid modifying therapies. Large clinical trials involving drugs of the statin class (HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) have shown that there is no diminution of the effects of statin therapy with advancing age, even for patients aged up to 80 years. Although it has not been proven in controlled trials, elderly patients may even derive a greater be..