(From June 2024 Annals for Educators)
Clinical guidelines recommend the use of statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. However, there is uncertainty about the benefit of statin therapy in people older than 75 years, in part because of the underrepresentation of this age group in published statin trials. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in adults older than 75 years.
Use this to:
- Review what a trial emulation is and consider how this methodology enables stronger causal inference than other observational study designs. may be helpful.
- Study current recommendations for the prescription of statins for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
- Ask yourself if you typically initiate statins for primary prevention in patients older than 75 years. Why or why not?
- Review the selection of a statin and the dose when prescribing one for primary prevention.
Annals for Educators is a Web Exclusives feature of Annals of Internal Medicine which includes activities using selected Annals articles to help medical educators in their teaching activities.
Back to the August 2024 issue of ACP IMpact