What older patients are getting wrong about statins and aspirin—and how cardiologists can help
Adults aged 75 years and older are making some significant mistakes when it comes to preventing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. What can cardiologists and other physicians do to reverse this trend?
The authors evaluated data from more than 11,000 adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2011 to 2018. All patients were 50 years old and older.
Overall, the number of patients taking daily low-dose aspirin to prevent cardiovascular disease increased with age. In fact, more than 45% of patients over the age of 75 were taking low-dose aspirin for that purpose—even though such a treatment strategy does not benefit patients in that age group.
Another key mistake many older patients are making involves statins, which are known to help limit repeat cardiac complications. While statin use for the prevention of cardiovascular disease does increase with age, just 56.4% of patients over the age of 75 reported that they consistently take statins. That number, the authors explained, should be much higher for that patient population.
“Healthcare providers should inform their older patients about appropriate aspirin use so that they can avoid misuse of aspirin, which can be easily purchased over the counter,” lead author Greg Rhee, PhD, department of public health sciences at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, said in a statement. “Ultimately, safer prescribing practice, patient education and patient-oriented effectiveness research should be continually encouraged to reduce potential harms and improve cardiovascular health in older adults.”
The full study is available here.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.