New findings offer reassurance about the cholesterol drugs.

A new, large study of statins confirms their safety and effectiveness in older patients — and counters persistent misperceptions about the cholesterol-controlling medications used by some 15 million people.

The study called PROSPER (PROSpective study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk) is the first of its kind to target the effects of a statin (trade name: Pravachol) specifically in elderly patients. The results were “good news for senior citizens,” according to Dr. James Shepherd, Ph.D., at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, who presented the research at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2002 meeting in Chicago in November. Previous statin studies have focused largely on middle-aged patients. …

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