Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and statin use and incident mobility limitation in community-dwelling older adults: the Health, Aging and Body Composition study.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate whether the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and statins is associated with a lower risk of incident mobility limitation in older community dwelling adults.

DESIGN

Longitudinal cohort study.

SETTING

Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) study.

PARTICIPANTS

Three thousand fifty-five participants who were well functioning at baseline (no mobility limitations).

MEASUREMENTS: Summated standardized daily doses (low, medium, high) and duration of ACE inhibitor and statin use were computed. Mobility limitation (two consecutive self-reports of having any difficulty walking one-quarter of a mile or climbing 10 steps without resting) was assessed every 6 months after baseline. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analyses were conducted, adjusting for demographics, health status, and health behaviors.

RESULTS

At baseline, 15.2% used ACE inhibitors and 12.9% used statins; use of both was greater than 25% by Year 6. Over 6.5 years of follow-up, 49.8% had developed mobility limitation. In separate multivariable models, neither ACE inhibitor (multivariate hazard ratio (HR) = 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.82-1.09) nor statin use (multivariate HR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.87-1.17) was associated with lower risk of mobility limitation. Similar findings were seen in analyses examining dose-response and duration-response relationships and a sensitivity analysis restricted to those with hypertension.

CONCLUSION

ACE inhibitors and statins widely prescribed to treat hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, respectively, do not lower risk of mobility limitation, an important indicator of quality of life.