Treatment with Statins in Elderly Patients

Elderly patients are a special category of patients, due to the physiological changes induced by age, the great number of comorbidities and drug treatment and last, but not least, to the cognitive dysfunction frequently encountered in this population. Cardiovascular disease is the most important cau...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ruxandra-Nicoleta Horodinschi, Ana Maria Alexandra Stanescu, Ovidiu Gabriel Bratu, Anca Pantea Stoian, Daniel George Radavoi, Camelia Cristina Diaconu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-10-01
Series:Medicina
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1010-660X/55/11/721
id doaj-d999d3f8629b4d3d9d51089e0fa09f13
record_format Article
spelling doaj-d999d3f8629b4d3d9d51089e0fa09f132020-11-25T01:12:25ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X2019-10-01551172110.3390/medicina55110721medicina55110721Treatment with Statins in Elderly PatientsRuxandra-Nicoleta Horodinschi0Ana Maria Alexandra Stanescu1Ovidiu Gabriel Bratu2Anca Pantea Stoian3Daniel George Radavoi4Camelia Cristina Diaconu5University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 020021 Bucharest, RomaniaUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 020021 Bucharest, RomaniaUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 020021 Bucharest, RomaniaUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 020021 Bucharest, RomaniaUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 020021 Bucharest, RomaniaUniversity of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, 020021 Bucharest, RomaniaElderly patients are a special category of patients, due to the physiological changes induced by age, the great number of comorbidities and drug treatment and last, but not least, to the cognitive dysfunction frequently encountered in this population. Cardiovascular disease is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly individuals worldwide. The rate of cardiovascular events increases after 65 years in men and after 75 years in women. Myocardial infarction and stroke are the leading disorders caused by atherosclerosis, that lead to death or functional incapacity. Elderly people have a greater risk to develop atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The incidence and prevalence of atherosclerosis increase with age and the number of cardiovascular events is higher in elderly patients. The most efficient treatment against atherosclerosis is the treatment with statins, that has been shown to decrease the risk both of stroke and coronary artery disease in all age groups. The advantages of the treatment become evident after at least one year of treatment. Primary prevention is the most important way of preventing cardiovascular disease in elderly individuals, by promoting a healthy lifestyle and reducing the risk factors. Secondary prevention after a stroke or myocardial infarction includes mandatory a statin, to diminish the risk of a recurrent cardiovascular event. The possible side effects of statin therapy are diabetes mellitus, myopathy, and rhabdomyolysis, hepatotoxicity. The side effects of the treatment are more likely to occur in elderly patients, due to their multiple associated comorbidities and drugs that may interact with statins. In elderly people, the benefits and disadvantages of the treatment with statins should be put in balance, especially in those receiving high doses of statins.https://www.mdpi.com/1010-660X/55/11/721elderlyatherosclerosisstatinmyocardial infarctionstroke
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Ruxandra-Nicoleta Horodinschi
Ana Maria Alexandra Stanescu
Ovidiu Gabriel Bratu
Anca Pantea Stoian
Daniel George Radavoi
Camelia Cristina Diaconu
spellingShingle Ruxandra-Nicoleta Horodinschi
Ana Maria Alexandra Stanescu
Ovidiu Gabriel Bratu
Anca Pantea Stoian
Daniel George Radavoi
Camelia Cristina Diaconu
Treatment with Statins in Elderly Patients
Medicina
elderly
atherosclerosis
statin
myocardial infarction
stroke
author_facet Ruxandra-Nicoleta Horodinschi
Ana Maria Alexandra Stanescu
Ovidiu Gabriel Bratu
Anca Pantea Stoian
Daniel George Radavoi
Camelia Cristina Diaconu
author_sort Ruxandra-Nicoleta Horodinschi
title Treatment with Statins in Elderly Patients
title_short Treatment with Statins in Elderly Patients
title_full Treatment with Statins in Elderly Patients
title_fullStr Treatment with Statins in Elderly Patients
title_full_unstemmed Treatment with Statins in Elderly Patients
title_sort treatment with statins in elderly patients
publisher MDPI AG
series Medicina
issn 1010-660X
publishDate 2019-10-01
description Elderly patients are a special category of patients, due to the physiological changes induced by age, the great number of comorbidities and drug treatment and last, but not least, to the cognitive dysfunction frequently encountered in this population. Cardiovascular disease is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in elderly individuals worldwide. The rate of cardiovascular events increases after 65 years in men and after 75 years in women. Myocardial infarction and stroke are the leading disorders caused by atherosclerosis, that lead to death or functional incapacity. Elderly people have a greater risk to develop atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The incidence and prevalence of atherosclerosis increase with age and the number of cardiovascular events is higher in elderly patients. The most efficient treatment against atherosclerosis is the treatment with statins, that has been shown to decrease the risk both of stroke and coronary artery disease in all age groups. The advantages of the treatment become evident after at least one year of treatment. Primary prevention is the most important way of preventing cardiovascular disease in elderly individuals, by promoting a healthy lifestyle and reducing the risk factors. Secondary prevention after a stroke or myocardial infarction includes mandatory a statin, to diminish the risk of a recurrent cardiovascular event. The possible side effects of statin therapy are diabetes mellitus, myopathy, and rhabdomyolysis, hepatotoxicity. The side effects of the treatment are more likely to occur in elderly patients, due to their multiple associated comorbidities and drugs that may interact with statins. In elderly people, the benefits and disadvantages of the treatment with statins should be put in balance, especially in those receiving high doses of statins.
topic elderly
atherosclerosis
statin
myocardial infarction
stroke
url https://www.mdpi.com/1010-660X/55/11/721
work_keys_str_mv AT ruxandranicoletahorodinschi treatmentwithstatinsinelderlypatients
AT anamariaalexandrastanescu treatmentwithstatinsinelderlypatients
AT ovidiugabrielbratu treatmentwithstatinsinelderlypatients
AT ancapanteastoian treatmentwithstatinsinelderlypatients
AT danielgeorgeradavoi treatmentwithstatinsinelderlypatients
AT cameliacristinadiaconu treatmentwithstatinsinelderlypatients
_version_ 1725166484202717184