Prevalence and Coexistence of Cardiovascular Comorbidities Among the US Dyslipidemic Population Aged ≥ 65 Years by Lipid-Lowering Medication Use Status

Using data from the 2001-2002, 2003-2004, and 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, we generated current estimates of the prevalence and overlap of cardiovascular comorbidities among older US adults (aged >= 65 years) with dyslipidemia, stratified by lipid-lowering medication use. We estimated that among the 32.5 million older US adults, 67% (21.8 million) are dyslipidemic. Among these subjects, the prevalence of congestive heart failure (CHF) is 9.9% (2.2 million); coronary heart disease (CHD): 27.0% (5.9 million); history of stroke: 10.4% (2.3 million); diabetes: 26.5% (5.8 million); and >= 1 of these comorbidities: 51.2% (11.1 million). Among dyslipidemic subjects who are receiving lipid-lowering medication (10.4 million), these figures are CHF: 10.1% (1.0 million); CHD: 29.6% (3.1 million); history of stroke: 12.3% (1.3 million); diabetes: 31.5% (3.3 million); and >= 1 of these comorbidities: 55.3% (5.7 million); compared with those who are not receiving lipid-lowering medication (11.4 million), CHF: 9.8% (1.1 million); CHD: 24.7% (2.8 million); history of stroke: 8.6% (1 million); diabetes: 21.9% (2.5 million); and >= 1 of these comorbidities: 47.5% (5.4 million). Among older US adults with dyslipidemia, 51.2% have >= 1 of the cardiovascular conditions studied. Among those who are receiving lipid-lowering medication, 55.3% report having comorbidities that put them at high risk for new or recurring cardiovascular events. Even more noteworthy is that 47.5% of dyslipidemic older adults who are not taking statins also have significant comorbidities. This highlights a critical unmet medical need for this growing population, which, solely based on age, is more likely to be at risk for cardiovascular events.