[Statin treatment as primary prevention in dyslipidaemic patients older than 75 years]. / Tratamiento con estatinas en pacientes dislipidémicos mayores de 75 años, en prevención primaria.

OBJECTIVES: To determine possible differences in the incidence of cardiovascular events between dyslipidaemia patients older than 75 years treated with statins compared to those not treated with them, as primary prevention. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients older than 75 years with dyslipidaemia in a health centre, between 2005 and 2015. The study included 329 patients (182 on treatment with statins and 147 with no lipid-lowering treatment) who met the inclusion criteria (patients older than 75 years, on treatment with statins for at least 3 years, or to have not had any lipid lowering treatment and as primary prevention). The study variables were all those considered as a risk factor in the latest cardiovascular risk guidelines, and the dependent variable was "cardiovascular event". A descriptive and inferential analysis was carried out for quantitative and qualitative variables, as well as a multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression. RESULTS: The incidence of cardiovascular events in patients without treatment with statins was 15.93% (95% CI 11.15-21.80), and 37.42% (95% CI 29.87-45.45) in those that were taking them (P<.001). The RR was 2.35 (95% CI 1.58-3.48). CONCLUSIONS: There are statistically significant differences, with an increase in the incidence of cardiovascular events in patients taking statins, compared to those who do not. It is currently considered whether real importance is being given to cholesterol levels in this patient group, as well as whether the prescription of statins in patients older than 75 years is suitable in primary prevention.

Human amniotic membrane intra-articular injection prevents cartilage damage in an osteoarthritis model.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that affects the soft tissues and bones of involved articulations as a result of deregulation between synthesis and extracellular matrix degradation in articular cartilage. The present study evaluated the effect of intra-articular injection of human amniotic membrane (AM) as a treatment in an OA animal model in the knee. Chemical OA was developed in the knees of New Zealand rabbits. Once OA was established, the right knees only were treated with an intra-articular injection of human AM, with the left knees considered as a negative control group. The evaluation was performed at 3 and 6 weeks post-treatment. At 3 weeks post-injection, the cartilage exhibited fibrillation, erosion, cracks and cell clusters in the negative control group, but not in the treated group (P=0.028). At 6 weeks post-injection, the left knees exhibited hypertrophy, cracks, cell clusters, decreased matrix staining and structure loss. However, the right knees exhibited cell clusters without evidence of disruption in cartilage integrity (P=0.015). These results suggested that the intra-articular injection of human AM delays histological changes of cartilage in OA.