Elderly statin users may risk delirium after surgeries

Elderly statin users may risk delirium after surgeries

The list of health problems linked to cholesterol-lowering statin drugs just got a little longer.

Researchers at the University of Toronto examined the results of surgery in more than 280,000 elderly patients. Their analysis revealed an increased risk of postoperative delirium among those who used statins for at least 90 days prior to surgery.

Risk increased even more in patients over the age of 70 and in patients who underwent longer surgeries.

According to Ivanhoe Newswire, the researchers suggest that patients stop taking statins before surgery, and then (of course!) start taking them again after surgery.

Or…maybe that would be a perfect time to quit.

Earlier this year I told you about a Business Week article titled “Do Cholesterol Drugs Do Any Good?” In that article, James M. Wright, M.D. (director of Therapeutics Initiative, a Canadian organization that reviews the effectiveness of drugs), noted that statin trials show that ANY amount of reduction in LDL cholesterol does not reduce heart attack risk in people over the age of 65, or in women of any age. The two exceptions: Those who have already had a heart attack and those at high risk of heart disease may slightly reduce their risk of heart attack.

Meanwhile, statin use may actually raise the risk of cognitive impairment in elderly patients, which would fit right in with the surgery/delirium connection. You can read further details about the cognitive risks linked to statins in the e-Alert “Your Secret Friend” (8/25/08).

Source:
“New Statin Risk” Ivanhoe Newswire, 9/24/08, ivanhoe.com