Statin Trial Finds More Events After Stopping, Despite Meeting Two-Year Test

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November 8, 2026, at 1 a.m. Central time.

In a trial of older adults taking statins to prevent a first cardiovascular event, stopping the medication met a statistical test set by researchers for a two-year comparison. But more participants in the stopping group had a heart attack, stroke or died over the full follow-up, leaving a risk signal that researchers say requires individual discussion with a clinician.

The STREAM trial enrolled 1,880 people age 70 or older with at least two chronic conditions and no known cardiovascular disease. It compared people randomly assigned to stop or continue statins used for primary prevention, according to the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

What the study found

At two years, the stopping group met the trial's pre-set test for noninferiority. Researchers had allowed a margin of 5.2 weeks in average time without a measured event; the observed difference was two weeks less for the stopping group. Meeting that test does not mean the two choices are risk-free or identical. The specialist publication HCPLive reported the margin and the two-year estimate.

Over a median follow-up of 103 weeks, 119 of 938 people assigned to stop had a nonfatal heart attack, nonfatal ischemic stroke or died, compared with 87 of 942 assigned to continue: 12.7% versus 9.2%, according to the college. Follow-up extended to four years for some participants. Researchers found no meaningful group differences in quality of life, muscle pain, falls or muscle wasting, the heart association reported.

Who was studied

Participants were taking statins to prevent a first cardiovascular event and had multiple chronic conditions. The findings should not be assumed to apply to younger adults or to people taking statins after a heart attack or stroke. The study was conducted at centers in Switzerland, France and the Netherlands, according to the heart association.

The college reported that the trial's independent safety monitoring board recommended that participants assigned to stop discuss restarting statins with their care team. The results were presented at the American Heart Association's scientific meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

What patients should do

The results do not support a blanket recommendation that older adults stop statins. Patients should speak with the clinician who prescribes their medication before changing or stopping it; their medical history and reasons for taking it matter.

Sources and visual credits

American College of Cardiology · American Heart Association · HCPLive specialist report · New England Journal of Medicine.

Hero and thumbnail: conceptual editorial illustration, not a photograph.