Health

Researchers recommend adults over 70 take cholesterol-lowering statins

By Mallika Marshall, MD

September 18, 2024 / 5:40 PM EDT / CBS Boston

New research suggests those over 70 should take cholesterol-lowering drugs

BOSTON - A new study finds that older adults should consider taking popular cholesterol-lowering medications.

Statins, like atorvastatin sold under the brand name Lipitor, are generally recommended for adults over 40 with risk factors for heart disease, but older adults tend to be less likely to take them than middle-aged adults. Perhaps, as people age they don't want to continue to take a bunch of pills and stop their statins to simplify their medication regimen.

This new study finds that may not be in their best interest. Researchers at the University of Oxford found that lifetime statin use in men and women 70 and older with or without previous cardiovascular disease is both cost-effective and helps seniors live longer and healthier lives.

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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