Reassessing Statin Therapy in Elderly Dyslipidemia: A Literature Review

Purpose: An integrative literature review was done to identify the best interventions for older adults with dyslipidemia in an effort to promote nursing involvement in the prevention of statin-induced symptoms (SIS). Such awareness could increase the capacity of interventions by geriatric nurses using evidence-based practices in the reassessment of statin therapy. Methods: CINAHL, Pubmed, and ProQuest were searched using these terms: dyslipidemia in, elderly, statins, adverse effects, and quality of life. Eleven articles fitting the inclusion criteria were identified and analyzed. Results: The findings indicate no evidence for the benefit of statin therapy for morbidity/mortality in a high-risk primary prevention set-up, specifically in the elderly population. Although SIS prevails among older adults, there are limited data that confidently support this observation along with nursing interventions specifically for the geriatric nursing community. Conclusion: Future research is necessary to shift nursing intervention with statin users (specifically in older adults) from an illness-based intervention to a preventive care plan to provide optimal care based on evidence. It is essential to involve self-reporting, cooperation, and communication with health care professionals, specifically with geriatric nurses. Additional studies are needed to further direct practice interventions in elderly statin users.