Cholesterol-lowering medication reduces heart attack and stroke risk in older people by 30 per cent

A world-first clinical trial conducted by Monash University researchers has shown that cholesterol-lowering medication can reduce heart attack and stroke in people aged over 70 years.

Statins are commonly prescribed to manage high cholesterol in people up to 75 years, and are known to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

But until now it was unclear whether they were effective in older people.

New research from Monash University, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented concurrently at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2026, found the medication decreases the risk of a first major cardiovascular event by 30 per cent for adults aged over 70 living independently.

The Statins in Reducing Events in the Elderly (STAREE) Trial is the first randomised controlled trial of statin therapy to examine whether the drugs could help in older people who have historically been overlooked in clinical trials.

This landmark, ten-year trial analysed the cardiovascular outcomes of almost 10,000 participants while they took either a statin or placebo.

Lead researcher Adjunct Professor Sophia Zoungas, from the Monash School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said the findings will change the way clinicians manage cardiovascular risk in older people.

“What we hope to see, now that we have provided such strong evidence, are updated treatment guidelines to help clinicians make use of this new finding,” Professor Zoungas said.

The global prevalence of cardiovascular disease is expected to almost double from 600 million in 2025 to more than one billion affected adults in 2050.

An estimated 21,000 older Australians suffer from major cardiovascular events, like heart attack and stroke, each year.

The risk increases with age, so people aged over 70 are automatically in a high risk category regardless of lifestyle or other factors.

“The risk of heart attack and stroke is a major concern for older people,” Professor Zoungas said.

“Knowing there is a safe and effective measure for lowering that risk will be a huge reassurance to older people and their families.

“Anyone who has seen a loved one impacted by cardiovascular disease will know just how important prevention is.”

Co-author Professor Mark Nelson, a prominent general practitioner, Adjunct Professor at the Monash School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Research Fellow at Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania, said this is critical evidence to support GPs in their decision-making around cardiovascular health in older people.

“This was a particularly important trial because it was conducted in the community, with more than 3400 GPs taking part across Australia,” Professor Nelson said.

“In light of this new evidence, older patients should have a conversation with their GP about whether statins are an appropriate treatment for their cardiovascular health to help them remain fit and healthy.”

The STAREE trial is one of the largest cardiovascular disease prevention trials ever conducted in older people, placing Australia at the global forefront of healthy ageing research.

“With the world’s population ageing at an unprecedented rate, answering fundamental questions about healthy longevity has become a universal imperative,” Professor Zoungas said.

“STAREE stands as a benchmark for international clinical trials that can directly inform preventive care worldwide."

Professor Derek Chew, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at the National Heart Foundation of Australia, which contributed funding to the trial, welcomed the results.

“For several decades now, statins have played a major role in reducing cardiovascular events,” Professor Chew said.

“This study shows that they can do so even when started much later in life.

“The Heart Foundation is proud to have supported Professor Sophia Zoungas and her team on this remarkable, long-term study and we congratulate all involved on its important findings.”

Read the research paper: http://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2607314