ESC 2026: Statins Reduce Cardiovascular Events in Healthy Adults ≥70 — Even Without High LDL
ESC 2026:
Statins Reduce Cardiovascular Events in Healthy Adults ≥70 — Even Without High LDL
STAREE Trial, August 29, 2026; simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
* Study: 9,971 “healthy”adults ≥70 years with no prior cardiovascular disease, randomized to atorvastatin 40 mg/day vs placebo; median follow-up 5.9 years.
* Baseline lipids: Mean LDL-C ~126 mg/dL; importantly, high cholesterol was not required for enrollment.
* MACE: 6.0% vs 8.3% — about 30% lower with atorvastatin.
* Safety: Serious adverse events were similar overall; musculoskeletal events were modestly more frequent with atorvastatin.
* Key message: Atorvastatin 40 mg reduced major cardiovascular events by 30% in apparently healthy adults ≥70 years, despite a relatively modest average baseline LDL-C of 126 mg/dL—not a selected hyperlipidemic population
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/