Lipid Management in the Geriatric Patient

Elderly individuals are at higher risk for cardiovascular events, and thus this population stands to gain a greater reduction in events from lipid therapy than younger individuals. Multiple primary and secondary prevention trials have demonstrated that the benefits of statins in geriatric patients are equivalent to, or greater than, those seen in younger patients. Combination therapy with non-statin agents should be considered in patients who do not meet cholesterol goals or who have concomitant hypertriglyceridemia or low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Although increased side effects may occur with high-dose statin therapy, careful vigilance of drug interactions and limiting polypharmacy can reduce these effects.