Should healthy people in their 70s and beyond take a statin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke? A landmark trial offers the clearest answer yet: a statin meaningfully cut cardiovascular events — with important nuances.
The STAREE trial (STAtin therapy for Reducing Events in the Elderly) — the first large primary-prevention statin trial focused on older adults — found that atorvastatin reduced major cardiovascular events by about 30% versus placebo over roughly six years in community-dwelling adults aged 70+ with no prior cardiovascular disease. Results were presented at the ESC Congress 2026 and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The nuances
The benefit was driven mainly by nonfatal events. Notably, disability-free survival did not differ significantly between the statin and placebo groups — an important endpoint for older adults, for whom staying independent matters as much as avoiding events. And side effects mattered: muscle, liver, and diabetes-related adverse events were more common with atorvastatin, though serious adverse events were balanced overall.
Why it matters
Older adults have been underrepresented in statin trials, leaving doctors to extrapolate. STAREE provides real evidence that primary-prevention statins can reduce cardiovascular events in this group — while underscoring that the decision should weigh the cardiovascular benefit against side effects and individual goals. This article summarizes a clinical trial and is not medical advice; decisions about statins should be made with a clinician.