Risk of heart attack for retirees who stop taking statins from age 75

According to one study, the elimination of statins almost doubles the risk of heart attack among healthy retirees.

People over 75 who stopped taking the pills, designed to lower cholesterol, are also one-third more likely to be admitted to hospital for heart disease during the two and a half years later.

The results come from a survey of 120,000 French patients under statins continuously for two years.

The results showed that people over the age of 75 who had dropped the tablets were 46% more likely to have a heart attack, with an increased risk of stroke of 26%.

The lead author, Dr. Philippe Giral, of the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris, said, "If you regularly take statins to treat high cholesterol, we recommend that you do not stop at 75 years old.

"We estimated that 2.5 additional cardiovascular events per 100 people would occur within four years for those who stopped treatment at age 75."

In the UK, about six million adults take pills 3 p daily – but experts say that another six million high-risk patients should take statins, which reduce fatty deposits in the blood vessels.

People stop taking prescription statins from the doctor because of side effects such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and difficulty sleeping.

But pills are known to protect patients of all ages who have already had heart problems or stroke.

A recent badysis of data from 40 countries revealed that four out of 65 elderly people do not take statins as indicated. Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "Old age itself exposes people to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

"This risk can be increased by factors such as high cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

"This study, though observational, adds to a growing body of evidence showing that statins reduce heart attacks and strokes in the elderly, as well as in younger people, and are safe.

"Age should not be a barrier to prescribing these potentially life-saving drugs to those who are likely to benefit from it."

Paris results are published in the European Heart Journal.