Neurology. 2024 Mar 26;102(6):e209189. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000209189. Epub 2024 Feb 27.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Little is known about the benefits of statin therapy in older adults with dementia. We aimed to evaluate the role of statin use for all-cause mortality in nursing home residents with and without dementia.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study used claims data collected between January 2015 and December 2019 from a German health and long-term care insurance provider. Propensity score-based Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate the association of statin use with all-cause mortality and adjusted for potential confounders in nursing home residents. Subgroup analyses were performed based on the presence or absence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), statin intensity (low, moderate, high), dementia type, age, sex, and level of care required.

RESULTS: A total of 282,693 participants were included in the study, of which 96,162 were matched. In total, 68.9% were women, and the mean age was 82.91 years (SD ±7.97). The average observation period was 2.25 years (SD ±1.35), and 54,269 deaths were recorded. Statin use in individuals with dementia resulted in lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.80, 95% CI 0.78-0.82, p < 0.001) compared with statin nonusers. Similarly, in individuals without dementia, statin use was associated with lower all-cause mortality (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.71-0.76, p < 0.001) compared with statin nonusers. Similar findings were observed in subanalyses excluding participants with a history of ASCVD and across subgroups stratified by age, sex, care level required, and dementia type. Statin benefits were consistent among individuals with and without dementia.

DISCUSSION: Statin benefits were consistent among individuals with and without dementia. Statin therapy may be continued in nursing home residents with dementia to mitigate the risk of all-cause mortality.

CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class III evidence that nursing home patients receiving statins have a lower mortality rate, whether they have a dementia diagnosis or not.

PMID:38412394 | DOI:10.1212/WNL.0000000000209189