Assessment and Intervention for Statin Use in Older Adult Clients

This discussion board post delves into the use of statins for clients aged 75 and older, addressing the complexities of this treatment within the older adult population. The post examines the outcomes statins can address, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes, while also acknowledging areas where benefits may be less evident or require further research. It discusses the potential risks associated with statin use in older adults, including muscle problems, cognitive impairment, and drug interactions, emphasizing the need for careful assessment. The post also highlights the importance of evidence-based practice in nursing, providing assessment and intervention considerations for healthcare professionals. The post concludes that statins can be taken by older adults after a heart attack or stroke and or even a mini-stroke. Statins can also help in the prevention of a second stroke or heart attack. The post emphasizes the importance of individualized treatment plans and shared decision-making between healthcare providers and patients, considering the patient's overall health, potential benefits, and risks associated with statin therapy.

Running head: STATIN USE
Use of Statins for clients over 75 years
Name of the Student:
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Author Note:

1STATIN USE
Statins are a set of drugs for high cholesterol treatment. They function by lowering
cholesterol levels in the blood, in particular lipoprotein with low density (LDL) or "bad"
cholesterol.
The likelihood of developing heart disease is increased in people who have high LDL
cholesterol. Cholesterol in the arteries builds up with this disorder and may lead to angina,
heart attack, and stroke. Statins can therefore be important to reduce these risks.
Many older adults suffer from high cholesterol levels. Normally the doctors
prescribe statins use for heart disease.
For elderly people, however, it is not clear that high cholesterol causes cardiovascular
disease or death. Indeed, some studies have found that the risk of mortality is actually the
higher for older people with the lowest cholesterol.
Statins have risks
Older adults are more often affected by the use of statins compared with younger
adults. Statins, may cause complications such as aches, pains, or fatigue; usually muscle
problems. A serious muscle breakdown can rarely occur.
It has been observed that statins, in older individuals, could cause:
 Falls
 Loss of memory and even creating confusion
 Constipation, diarrhea or nausea.
Elderly people often take a lot of medicines. They can come into contact with statins and
cause serious problems. Unlike muscle pain, adverse effects will increase. Statins also can
cause fatal reactions in the use of cardiovascular medicines.

2STATIN USE
Statins can increase type 2 diabetes risk, cataracts risk and also lead to hepatic, renal and
spinal damage.
Many musculoskeletal disorders may include myopathy, myalgia, muscle weakness,
back ailment, injuries, and arthropathy, which may be due to statin therapy. Such conditions
can be especially troublesome in elderly people and can lead to physical deterioration and
delicacy. Statins have found to be linked to cognitive impairment that can contribute further
to decreased functional status, fall risk and disablement. All these potential threats in
combination and the data indicating that statin therapy among older people may be correlated
with an accelerated rate of mortality, must be weighed for patients in this age group prior to
prescribing or retaining statins (Curfman, 2017).
When to prescribe statins for the older adults
The threat of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in young and middle-aged people has
been shown to decrease with use of Statin drugs. The results are less evident for older adults
(75 or more). Nonetheless, a recent study presented in the European Heart Journal (EHJ)
indicates that statin being used in this elderly population potentially has an advantage (Dara
K. Lee Lewis, 2020).
The EHJ research has closely analyzed a large health sample of over 120,000 French
men and women between the ages of 75 and 79 who had taken statins for at least two years
but had no experience of CVD before. Adults were seen up to four years to check for a CVD
event (heart attack, stroke or other arterial problem) that would be more likely for those who
had stopped their statins (Dara K. Lee Lewis, 2020).
At the end of the study, the scientist observed that about 10 percents of the
patients required hospital admittance due to the CVD case, compared to about 7.5 percent, of

3STATIN USE
patients who had not stopped taking statins, In other words, halting statins is correlated with a
rising statistically relevant risk of roughly 25% to 30% (Dara K. Lee Lewis, 2020).
Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded that Statins can be taken by older adults after a heart
attack or stroke and or even a mini-stroke. Statins can also help in the prevention of a second
stroke or heart attack.

4STATIN USE
References
Dara K. Lee Lewis, M. (2020). Study supports benefit of statin use for older adults - Harvard
Health Blog. Retrieved 27 February 2020, from
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/study-supports-benefit-of-statin-use-for-
older-adults-2019100217932
Curfman, G. (2017). Risks of Statin Therapy in Older Adults. JAMA Internal
Medicine, 177(7), 966. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.1457