Doctors can be reassured that patients are not automatically “too old” for statin therapy, with a major Australian-led review showing the medications provide cardiovascular benefits for the over-75s.

Statins are safe, effective and reduce the risk of vascular events in all age groups studied, including those older than 75, say the authors of a review published in the Lancet.

The study finds that for every reduction of 1mmol/L in LDL-cholesterol, the risk of a major vascular event — including MI, stroke and coronary revascularisations — is reduced by 13% in patients over 75.

While the risk of a major coronary event in these oldest patients was reduced by 18% compared with placebo, the results for stroke and coronary revascularisation failed to reach significance, probably because of the small number of elderly patients in these categories, the authors said.