Too Old for Medication?

Q: I am 70 years old and my cholesterol is 250. I heard that if I have not had a heart attack by now, there is no point in taking medication to lower it. 

A: That’s not entirely accurate. There is no upper age limit at which high cholesterol levels no longer increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. What’s been missing is evidence showing that treating older adults who have high cholesterol is beneficial. But this is changing, as recent research has shown that treatment of people over the age of 70 prevents heart attack and stroke. The decision to take cholesterol-lowering medication should be based on your overall heart-disease risk, not your age, so if you have other risk factors, you may be better off taking cholesterol-lowering medication than not. Talk with your doctor about your options.

Sharonne Hayes, M.D., is associate professor of medicine and cardiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota.