Risk reduced for primary cardiovascular event, but no reduction seen in risk for death from any cause, dementia, or persistent physical disability
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2, 2026 (HealthDay News) — For community-dwelling older adults without clinical cardiovascular disease, atorvastatin is associated with a lower risk for major cardiovascular events, but does not improve disability-free survival, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, held from Aug. 28 to 31 in Munich.
Sophia Zoungas, M.B., B.S., Ph.D., from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial at general medical practices across Australia to examine the effectiveness and safety of statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular events and the extension of disability-free survival among older adults. Community-dwelling adults aged 70 years and older with no history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or dementia were randomly assigned to receive atorvastatin 40 mg once daily or identical placebo (4,984 and 4,987 participants, respectively).
The researchers found that after a median of 5.9 years, a primary cardiovascular event occurred in 297 and 412 participants in the atorvastatin and placebo groups, respectively (10.9 and 15.5 events per 1,000 person-years, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.70; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.61 to 0.82; P < 0.001). Death from any cause, dementia, or persistent physical disability occurred in 637 and 676 participants in the atorvastatin and placebo groups, respectively (21.6 and 23.0 events per 1,000 person-years, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.94; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.84 to 1.05; P = 0.25). Serious adverse events occurred in 2.7 percent of participants in each group, with musculoskeletal, hepatobiliary, and diabetes-related adverse events occurring more frequently in the atorvastatin group.
“The risk of heart attack and stroke is a concern for older people and knowing there is an effective measure for lowering that risk will be a huge reassurance to older people and their families,” Zoungas said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
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