A common cholesterol-busting drug, statins, may also help prevent frailty in old age, a study published on June 13, 2026, has suggested. American researchers found that older adults taking statins were 24 percent less likely to be frail compared to those not using the daily medication.
The research team at Mass General Brigham in Boston analyzed data from nearly one million U.S. Army veterans. These individuals were initially aged 67 or older, considered not frail, and not taking statins at the start of the observation period. Over a five-year span, 290,729 participants began taking statins, while more than 636,000 became frail.
Over the subsequent 16 years, the study observed that individuals who had started taking statins showed a significantly reduced likelihood of experiencing muscle loss, fatigue, slow walking speed, and low levels of physical activity. The research indicated that statins demonstrated this protective effect even when patients exhibited early signs of frailty at the study's commencement, suggesting potential benefits even after frailty has begun.
Authors of the study theorize that statins possess anti-inflammatory properties beyond their cholesterol-lowering effects, which could help slow the biological aging processes and functional decline associated with aging. In the United Kingdom, approximately 7 million individuals are prescribed statins, while around ten percent of adults over 65 live with frailty. This percentage increases to between 25 and 50 percent for those aged over 85.
Dr. Saadia Qazi, a study author, commented on the findings: "There are currently no approved medications specifically to prevent frailty. Our findings suggest that statins may offer an important opportunity to reduce the risk of frailty and help people preserve their health and independence as they age."