STATIN therapy significantly reduced major cardiovascular events in older adults without known cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or dementia, according to findings from the STAREE trial presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2026.
The study demonstrated a 30% relative reduction in cardiovascular events with atorvastatin compared with a placebo drug, supporting the potential role of statins for primary prevention in this population.
Evidence supporting statin use in older adults has historically been limited because this age group was underrepresented in major clinical trials.
The STAREE trial was designed to address this evidence gap by investigating whether statin therapy could improve health outcomes in adults aged 70 years and older without a history of clinical cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or dementia.
Researchers conducted a double blind, randomised trial involving 9,971 participants recruited from Australian general practice settings.
Participants were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive oral atorvastatin 40 mg daily or a placebo drug. The participants’ mean age was 74.7 years, and 52% of participants were women.
The co-primary endpoints were major cardiovascular events and disability-free survival.
After a median follow up of 5.9 years, researchers observed that major cardiovascular events occurred less frequently among participants receiving atorvastatin than among those receiving the placebo.
Event rates were 6.0% compared to 8.3% in the placebo group, representing a statistically significant 30% relative risk reduction with statin therapy.
Major cardiovascular events included cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or coronary revascularisation.
Despite the reduction in cardiovascular events, disability-free survival did not differ significantly between the two groups.
The researchers observed that the combined outcome of death, dementia, or persistent physical disability occurred in 12.8% of participants receiving atorvastatin and 13.6% receiving the placebo.
Muscle-related, liver-related, and diabetes-related adverse events were more frequent among participants receiving atorvastatin, according to the study’s findings.
However, serious adverse events were uncommon and occurred at the same rate in both groups, affecting 2.7% of participants in each treatment group.
The findings provide new evidence supporting statin therapy for primary prevention in older adults who do not have known cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or dementia.
The researchers suggest that these results may help inform future treatment guidelines and improve cardiovascular risk management strategies as populations continue to age.
Zoungas S et al. Atorvastatin, cardiovascular events, and disability-free survival in older adults. N Engl J Med. 2026;DOI:10.1056/NEJMoa2607314.
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