A major clinical trial presented at a leading cardiology conference found that older adults with several long-term conditions could stop taking statins without a considerably higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death over two years.
The findings, published by the New England Journal of Medicine, come from the STREAM trial and were presented at Scientific Sessions 2026. The study looked at adults aged 70 and over who had at least two long-term (chronic) conditions but no history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease — the build-up of fatty deposits in artery walls that causes most heart attacks and strokes.
Researchers found that stopping statins — cholesterol-lowering tablets taken by millions of people worldwide — was non-inferior to continuing them. In plain terms: the group that stopped did not experience meaningfully worse outcomes for the combined measure of heart attack, stroke, or death at the two-year mark. Though the group that stopped statins had a numerically higher rate of events, the difference fell within the trial’s pre-specified non-inferiority margin.
That’s a notable finding. Statins are among the most widely prescribed medicines in England, and many older patients take them for years, sometimes alongside a long list of other drugs for conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, or kidney disease.
The trial does not suggest everyone should stop taking statins. The NEJM’s own framing is careful: the result applies specifically to older adults with multiple conditions and no known cardiovascular disease — not to people who have already had a heart attack or stroke, for whom statins remain a well-established treatment according to NHS guidance.
Decisions about stopping any prescribed medicine should always involve a GP or specialist. Anyone with questions about their statin prescription should contact their GP surgery rather than stopping tablets without advice.
For general health queries, NHS 111 is available online or by phone, 24 hours a day.
Source: @NEJM