Researchers at Mass General Brigham announced on June 9 that older U.S. veterans who began statin therapy were significantly less likely to develop frailty over time, indicating potential healthy aging benefits for the cholesterol-lowering medications beyond cardiovascular disease prevention. The findings are published in the European Heart Journal.
Frailty is defined by muscle loss, fatigue, slow walking speed, and low activity levels. Older adults categorized as frail are more likely to experience a significant decline in function after minor illnesses or injuries. With high rates of frailty among older adults in the United States, there is an increasing need for prevention and treatment strategies. The study authors said that statins' anti-inflammatory effects may help slow biological aging and functional decline processes.
In their retrospective cohort study, Qazi and colleagues analyzed Medicare and Medicaid data from 987,301 U.S. veterans aged 67 years and older who received care through the Veterans Affairs health system between 2002 and 2018. All participants were considered non-frail at baseline and not taking statins. Frailty was measured using a validated 31-item Veterans Affairs Frailty Index.
During an average follow-up period of 5.3 years, 290,729 veterans started taking statins while more than 636,000 developed frailty. After adjusting for differences such as body mass index, sex, race, smoking status, cardiovascular disease history, cancer diagnosis, and other factors among participants, researchers found that starting statin therapy was associated with a 24% lower risk of developing frailty compared with those who did not take statins.
The reduced risk associated with statin use was consistent across subgroups including different age groups as well as individuals with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, or dementia. This association also held true for those classified as "pre-frail" at the start of the study—those showing early signs of frailty—suggesting possible benefits even when initiated closer to onset.
"While randomized trials are needed, these observational findings suggest a potential role for statins in preventing frailty," said senior author Ariela Orkaby, MD, MPH from VA Boston and Mass General Brigham. "We know that frailty and heart disease share underlying mechanisms. Our study suggests that targeting those mechanisms could help prevent both outcomes."
