A recent meta-analysis published in the European Heart Journal found that there may be  benefits in continued statin use in populations over the age of 75. Researchers analyzed a large healthcare database for the meta-analysis, following over 120,000 French men and women ages 75 to 79 who had been taking statins for at least two years, but who had no previous history of cardiovascular disease. They found that nearly 10 percent of patients who had stopped taking statins were admitted to the hospital for a cardiovascular  event, compared with 7.5 percent of those who had continued their statin usage (a 33% increased risk of admission for CV event).

It is generally known that taking statins reduces CVD events for the young and middle aged, but most current European and American guidelines guidelines are vague regarding statins for older populations. This is partly because most research studies on statins are conducted on younger participants. Concerns about drug side effects, associated medical issues and interactions with different medications are reasons many physicians are hesitant to prescribe statins to older people.