The American journal of managed care
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Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading cause of mortality in the United States, and factors such as age, gender, or race/ethnicity have a significant impact on cardiovascular risk. More than 80% of people who die from CHD are 65 years or older. Because women experience myocardial infarction (MI) at older ages than men, their mortality from MI is greater than it is for men. ⋯ Given this information, aggressive treatment of CHD risk factors is critical in black individuals, older individuals, and women. Although abundant randomized, controlled clinical data exist to support the efficacy of lipid-lowering therapy in preventing CHD events, these populations have traditionally been underrepresented in intervention-based clinical trials, despite their high prevalence of CHD. This article will explore the evidence for instituting statin therapy as part of a risk reducing strategy in older individuals, women, and ethnic minorities.