Drug insight: statin use in the elderly

The elderly represent a notable proportion of patients who present with myocardial infarction or acute coronary syndromes. This subgroup of patients also experiences a higher incidence of adverse outcomes than younger age-groups, and, therefore, has more to gain from effective, evidence-based therapies. The efficacy of statins in secondary cardiovascular disease prevention is firmly established. The starting of therapy soon after an acute coronary event has been shown to provide added benefit. Uncertainties about the effectiveness of statins in the elderly, however, have resulted in their underuse in this population. In this review we evaluate the evidence for statin use in this important and increasingly large group of patients.