Underutilization of lipid-lowering drugs in older persons with prior myocardial infarction and a serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol > 125 mg/dl.

A prospective study of 500 consecutive persons (aged 60 years with Q-wave myocardial infarction admitted to a long-term health care facility) investigated the prevalence of the use of a lipid-lowering drug at the time of admission in persons with a fasting serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol >125 mg/dl measured the day after admission. The prevalence of a lipid-lowering drug in persons with myocardial infarction and an LDL cholesterol >125 mg/dl was 7% (11 of 153 persons) in persons 60 to 80 years of age and 3% (6 of 182 persons) in persons 81 to 100 years of age.