ST. PAUL, Minn -- September 10, 2008 -- Elderly people who take a cholesterol drug after a stroke or mini-stroke lower their risk of having another stroke just as much as younger people in the same situation, according a study published in the September 3 online issue of Neurology.
"Even though the majority of strokes and heart attacks occur in people who are 65 and older, studies have found that cholesterol-lowering drugs are not prescribed as often for older people as they are for younger people," said study author Seemant Chaturvedi, MD, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.
"These results show that using these drugs is just as beneficial for people who are over 65 as they are for younger people."
The study involved 4,731 people aged 18 years and older who had a recent stroke, transient ischaemic attack, or mini-stroke.
Participants were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 was comprised of 2,249 people aged 65 years and older (average age 72 y), and group 2 comprised of 2,482 people aged under 65 years (average age 54 y).
Within each group, about half of the people received atorvastatin and about half received a placebo. The participants were then followed for an average of 4.5 years.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was lowered by an average of 61 points during the study for the elderly group, and by 59 points for the younger group. Those in the younger group reduced their risk for another stroke by 26% and the elderly group reduced their risk by 10%.
"We tested to see whether age had any effect on how well the treatment worked, and we did not find any differences between young people and older people," Dr. Chaturvedi said.
"It's estimated that 20% of the US population will be 65 or older by 2010, so it's important that we identify ways to reduce the burden of strokes and other cerebrovascular diseases in this group. This is a step in that direction."
SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology
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