CHOLESTEROL LOWERING IN THE ELDERLY

美国人口老龄化将对医疗保健产生长期影响 在美国送货。到2000年，美国人口普查局 预计65岁以上的人口将达到3500万， 到2050年，将有近7000万人。老年人中最令人残疾的医疗问题 美国人患有心血管疾病，目前影响超过3.6人 数以百万计的美国老年人。血清胆固醇升高是主要风险 在65-75岁的男性中，30%的人和女性中有40%的人患有心脏病。 虽然降低胆固醇已被证明可以降低心血管疾病的风险 60岁以下的人，还没有对60-75岁的人进行过研究 几年前。洛伐他汀的问世，以其易用性，低水平 副作用，以及降低低密度脂蛋白的强大能力，现在进行了这样的研究 老年人降胆固醇是可能的。随函附上的建议书 概述了一项双盲、随机的试点研究，该研究将测试 开展协作性、长期临床试验的可行性 对未来卫生保健的积极影响的影响。如果 研究发现，降低胆固醇可以降低老年人患心血管疾病的风险， 数百万美国老年人可以接受高胆固醇治疗并幸免于难 过早死亡和残疾。如果降胆固醇不能降低 心血管发病率和死亡率，数百万美国老年人和 国家的医疗保健预算将省去不便和费用 无益的治疗方法。考虑到国家的老龄化，这样的 这些发现将对未来产生深远的影响。

The aging of the U.S. population will have long term effects on health care delivery in the United States. By the year 2000, the U.S. Bureau of Census projects that the number of persons over age 65 will reach 35 million and by 2050, nearly 70 million. the most disabling medical problem in older Americans is cardiovascular disease which currently affects more than 3.6 millions older Americans. Elevated serum cholesterol, a primary risk factor for heart disease, occurs in 30% of men and 40% of women aged 65-75. While cholesterol lowering has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk in individuals under age 60, no studies have been done in individuals 60-75 years of age. The advent of lovastatin, with its ease of use, low level of side effects, and powerful ability to lower LDL, now makes such a study of cholesterol lowering possible in the elderly. The enclosed proposal outlines a double-blind, randomized pilot study which will test the feasibility of conducting a collaborative, long term, clinical trial of the effects of aggressive implications for health care in the future. If cholesterol lowering is found to reduce cardiovascular risk in the elderly, millions of older Americans can be treated for high cholesterol and spared premature death and disability. If cholesterol lowering does not reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, millions of older Americans and the health care budget of the nation will be spared the inconvenience and costs of treatment which is not beneficial. Given the aging of the nation, such findings will have profound implications for the future.