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Associations Between Statin Use and Physical Function in Older Adults from The Netherlands and Australia: Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam and Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

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Abstract

Background

Statin therapy may cause myopathy, but long-term effects on physical function are unclear.

Objective

We investigated whether statin use is associated with poorer physical function in two population-based cohorts of older adults.

Methods

Data were from 691 men and women (aged 69–102 years in 2005/2006) in the LASA (Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam) and 5912 women (aged 79–84 years in 2005) in the ALSWH (Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health). Statin use and dose were sourced from containers (LASA) and administrative databases (ALSWH). Physical function was assessed using performance tests, questionnaires on functional limitations and the SF-12 (LASA) and SF-36 (ALSWH) questionnaires. Cross-sectional (both studies) and 3-year prospective associations (ALSWH) were analysed for different statin dosage using linear and logistic regression.

Results

In total, 25 % of participants in LASA and 61 % in ALSWH used statins. In the cross-sectional models in LASA, statin users were less likely to have functional limitations (percentage of subjects with at least 1 limitation 63.9 vs. 64.2; odds ratio [OR] 0.6; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.3–0.9) and had better SF-12 physical component scores (mean [adjusted] 47.3 vs. 44.5; beta [B] = 2.8; 95 % CI 1.1–4.5); in ALSWH, statin users had better SF-36 physical component scores (mean [adjusted] 37.4 vs. 36.5; B = 0.9; 95 % CI 0.3–1.5) and physical functioning subscale scores (mean [adjusted] 55.1 vs. 52.6; B = 2.4; 95 % CI 1.1–3.8) than non-users. Similar associations were found for low- and high-dose users and in the prospective models. In contrast, no significant associations were found with performance tests.

Conclusions

Two databases from longitudinal population studies in older adults gave comparable results, even though different outcome measures were used. In these two large cohorts, statin use was associated with better self-perceived physical function.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the participants of both studies. LASA is largely supported by The Netherlands Ministry of Health Welfare and Sports, Directorate of Long-Term Care. ALSWH is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health. The research on which this paper is based was partly conducted in The Netherlands and partly in Australia as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, The University of Newcastle and The University of Queensland. We acknowledge the Department of Health and Medicare Australia for providing the PBS data, and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) as the integrating authority for these data.

G. M. E. E. Peeters is currently employed by Monash University, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Melbourne, Australia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Laurette van Boheemen, Evelien Sohl & Natasja M. van Schoor

  2. School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Susan E. Tett

  3. Department of General Practice and Elderly Care Medicine, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jacqueline G. Hugtenburg

  4. Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Jacqueline G. Hugtenburg

  5. School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    G. M. E. E. Peeters

  6. School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia

    G. M. E. E. Peeters

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  1. Laurette van Boheemen
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  2. Susan E. Tett
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. M. E. E. Peeters.

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Conflict of interest

Drs van Boheemen, Tett, Sohl, Hugtenberg, van Schoor, and Peeters declare they have no conflicts of interest that might be relevant to the contents of this manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by The Netherlands Ministry of Health Welfare and Sports, Directorate of Long-Term Care, who funded the LASA; the Australian Government Department of Health, who funded the ALSWH; and an Australian National Health Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence Grant (Grant Number APP1000986, [GP]).

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van Boheemen, L., Tett, S.E., Sohl, E. et al. Associations Between Statin Use and Physical Function in Older Adults from The Netherlands and Australia: Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam and Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. Drugs Aging 33, 437–445 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-016-0370-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-016-0370-5

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