CHOLESTEROL LOWERING IN THE ELDERLY

美国人口老龄化将对医疗保健产生长期影响 在美国交货。 到2000年，美国人口普查局 预计65岁以上的人口将达到3 500万， 到2050年，将近七千万人 老年人最致残的医疗问题 美国人是心血管疾病，目前影响超过3.6 数百万美国老年人 血清胆固醇升高，主要风险 在65-75岁的人群中，30%的男性和40%的女性患有心脏病。 虽然降低胆固醇已被证明可以降低心血管风险， 年龄在60岁以下的人，没有在60-75岁的人中进行过研究 岁的 洛伐他汀的出现，其易于使用，低水平的 副作用，和强大的能力，降低低密度脂蛋白，现在这样的研究， 降低胆固醇可能在老年人。 所附提案 概述了一项双盲，随机试点研究， 开展合作的长期临床试验的可行性 对未来医疗保健的积极影响。 如果 发现降低胆固醇可降低老年人的心血管风险， 数以百万计的美国老年人可以治疗高胆固醇， 过早死亡和残疾。 如果降低胆固醇不能减少 心血管疾病发病率和死亡率，数百万美国老年人和 国家的医疗保健预算将免除不便和费用 治疗是没有好处的。 鉴于国家的老龄化， 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.