Muscular Effects of Statins in the Elderly Female

     

Clinical Interventions in Aging, published by Dove Medical Press, has published an article entitled "Muscular Effects of Statins in the Elderly Female: A Review."

This study reviews muscular effects of statins in the elderly. "This subject is very current since statins provide substantial benefits in support of cardiovascular health, specifically by preventing coronary artery disease and stroke. As a result, statins have become some of the most widely prescribed drugs both in the US, and around the world," explains Dr Richard F. Walker, editor-in-chief.

However, as with most drugs, clinical problems are associated with their use. One major concern is statin-induced myopathy ranging from a generally painless increases in serum creatinine kinase to myalgia and in the extreme, to rhabdomyolysis whereby myocyte loss and death may occur.

Because one of the common effects of aging is muscle loss, it has been recommended that statin therapy should be employed with great caution in elderly persons, particularly in older, thin or frail women. This review collates and discusses statin-related muscular effects, examines their molecular and genetic basis, and suggests how these apply specifically to the aged.

"Developing strategies to reduce the incidence of statin-induced myopathy in older patients, especially women, could contribute to a significant reduction in the overall incidence of statin-induced muscle disorder in this vulnerable group," explains Dr Walker. "Reducing statin-related muscle disorders would likely improve overall patient compliance, thereby leading to an increase in improved short and long-term outcomes associated with appropriate use of statins. This review takes one step forward towards meeting this therapeutic objective in middle aged and elderly patients."

 

Statin Therapy

 

The authors of the article are as follows: Shilpa Bhardwaj, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA and Griffen Hospital, Derby, CT, USA; Shalini Selvarajah and Eric B Schenider, Center for Surgical Trials and Outcomes Research, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Clinical Interventions in Aging is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal focusing on evidence-based reports on the value or lack thereof of treatments intended to prevent or delay the onset of maladaptive correlates of aging in human beings. Research topics include Alzheimer's disease, Dementia, Osteoporosis, Geriatrics. The journal encourages concise rapid reporting of original research and reviews in aging.

Dove Medical Press Ltd is a privately held company specializing in the publication of Open Access peer-reviewed journals across the broad spectrum of science, technology and especially medicine.

Updated 23 July 2014