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A practical approach to lipid management in the elderly

  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) increases in a curvilinear fashion after 65 years in men and 75 years in women and the majority of all cardiovascular events occur in individuals older then 65 years. There are notable differences in the clinical assessment of hyperlipidaemia, cardiovascular risk estimation as well as the safety and tolerability profiles in the elderly compared to younger individuals. Clinical trial data have now demonstrated the benefits of statin treatment in the elderly in both the primary and secondary prevention settings. There is however limited data for individuals older than 80 years. Little data is available on other lipid modifying medication in the elderly. With continuing increases in average life expectancy, preventive efforts will become increasingly important for preventing morbidity, improving quality of life, and reducing healthcare expenditures for older persons. This emphasizes the importance of clinical decisionmaking and weighing up the risks and benefits of treatment.

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Abbreviations

CVD:

cardiovascular disease

LDL-C:

low density lipoprotein cholesterol

HDL:

high density lipoprotein

TG:

triglycerides

TC:

total cholesterol

CYP:

cytochrome P450

ALT:

alanine amino transferase

AST:

aspartate amino transferase

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Pathology, Lister Hospital, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 4AB, UK

    A. Viljoen

  2. Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Postgraduate Medical School, Putteridge Bury Campus, Luton, LU2 8LE, UK

    A. Viljoen

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Correspondence to A. Viljoen.

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Viljoen, A. A practical approach to lipid management in the elderly. J Nutr Health Aging 15, 65–70 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-011-0014-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-011-0014-8

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