Cholesterol: until which age 'the lower the better'?

Submitted: June 9, 2016
Accepted: June 9, 2016
Published: June 22, 2016
Abstract Views: 1339
PDF: 809
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In the elderly and particularly in the very elderly the prognostic role of hypercholesterolemia is uncertain and there are conflicting data from the literature. In some studies, the relation between high levels of cholesterol and cardiovascular events, strongly demonstrated for younger subjects, has been confirmed also in the elderly, conversely in other studies a relation between low cholesterol levels and higher mortality risk has been described, particularly in the very elderly. Furthermore, uncertainties regarding hypercholesterolemia treatment have been raised both in secondary and particularly in the primary prevention setting, because elderly subjects and particularly the very elderly have been excluded from randomized clinical trials. In this article the prognostic role of hypercholerlemia and its reduction in the elderly patients both in primary and secondary prevention settings are assessed.  

Riassunto

Nella popolazione anziana e soprattutto in quella molto anziana il ruolo prognostico dell’ipercolesterolemia non è così chiaro e i dati della letteratura sono contraddittori. Se infatti in alcuni studi è stata confermata l’associazione con eventi cardiovascolari, ampiamente descritta per soggetti più giovani, altri studi hanno messo in evidenza, soprattutto per i soggetti più anziani, un’associazione fra bassi livelli di colesterolo e mortalità. Vi sono anche incertezze relative all’effetto prognostico del trattamento dell’ipercolesterolemia sia in prevenzione secondaria che, soprattutto in prevenzione primaria poiché pazienti anziani e molto anziani sono stati frequentemente esclusi dai trial clinici. In questo articolo vengono quindi discusse le evidenze sul ruolo prognostico dell’ipercolesterolemia e sull’effetto prognostico della sua riduzione sia in ambito di prevenzione primaria che secondaria nel paziente anziano e molto anziano.

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How to Cite

Marchionni, Niccolò, and Francesco Orso. 2016. “Cholesterol: Until Which Age ’the Lower the better’?”. Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease 84 (1-2). https://doi.org/10.4081/monaldi.2015.749.