Resumen de Statin Use and Decline in Gait Speed in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Wei Hsuan Lo Ciganic, Subashan Perera, Shelly L. Gray, Robert M. Boudreau, Janice C. Zgibor, Elsa S. Strotmeyer, Julie M. Donohue, Clareann H. Bunker, Anne B. Newman, Eleanor M. Simonsick, Douglas C. Bauer, Suzanne Satterfield, Paolo Caserotti, Tamara B. Harris, Ronald I. Shorr, Joseph T. Hanlon

• Objectives To examine the association between statin use and objectively assessed decline in gait speed in community-dwelling older adults.

  Design Longitudinal cohort study.

  Setting Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study.

  Participants Two thousand five participants aged 70–79 at baseline with medication and gait speed data at 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02, and 2002–03.

  Measurements The independent variables were any statin use and their standardized daily doses (low, moderate, high) and lipophilicity. The primary outcome measure was decline in gait speed of 0.1 m/s or more in the following year of statin use. Multivariable generalized estimating equations were used, adjusting for demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, health status, and access to health care.

  Results Statin use increased from 16.2% in 1998–99 to 25.6% in 2002–03. The overall proportions of those with decline in gait speed of 0.1 m/s or more increased from 22.2% in 1998 to 23.9% in 2003. Statin use was not associated with decline in gait speed of 0.1 m/s or more (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.77–1.06). Similar nonsignificant trends were also seen with the use of hydrophilic or lipophilic statins. Users of low-dose statins were found to have a 22% lower risk of decline in gait speed than nonusers (AOR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.61–0.99), which was mainly driven by the results from 1999–2000 follow-up.

  Conclusion These results suggest that statin use did not increase decline in gait speed in community-dwelling older adults.