Over 60 and Concerned About Heart Health? 5 Common Pills Worth Reviewing With Your Doctor
Being over 60 doesn’t automatically mean you need heart medication. But it’s a good time to review every prescription, over-the-counter medicine, and supplement with your doctor or pharmacist because medication benefits and risks can change with age.
Here are five important categories to discuss:
1. 💊 Statins — cholesterol-lowering medicines
Examples include atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin.
Statins lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and are an important part of preventing cardiovascular events in people who are at appropriate risk. The 2026 AHA/ACC dyslipidemia guideline continues to recommend LDL-lowering treatment based on individual cardiovascular risk, with treatment decisions becoming more individualized in people over 75.
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Ask your doctor: “Is my current cholesterol medication and dose still appropriate for my cardiovascular risk?”
2. 💊 Aspirin
Aspirin deserves special attention because taking it every day isn’t automatically beneficial.
If you’ve previously had a heart attack, stroke, coronary stent, or bypass surgery, aspirin may be an important part of preventing another event. But using aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke can cause serious bleeding, and routine use is generally not recommended in healthy adults over 70.
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Never stop prescribed aspirin without discussing it with your doctor.
3. 💊 Blood-pressure medicines
Common categories include ACE inhibitors/ARBs, calcium-channel blockers, and diuretics.
Keeping blood pressure controlled substantially reduces cardiovascular risk, but older adults may be more susceptible to dizziness, falls, electrolyte abnormalities, or excessively low blood pressure. Medication selection should take your other conditions and tolerance into account.
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American College of Cardiology
4. 💊 Beta blockers
Examples include metoprolol, carvedilol, and atenolol.
These medicines can be very useful after certain heart attacks, with angina, some abnormal heart rhythms, and certain types of heart failure. However, a beta blocker isn’t automatically necessary simply because you’re over 60. For people with chronic coronary disease, long-term beta-blocker therapy isn’t recommended solely to improve outcomes when there hasn’t been a recent heart attack, reduced heart function, or another indication.
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5. 💊 Over-the-counter pain medicines
This category is often overlooked.
Regular use of NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen can interact with cardiovascular medicines and may increase cardiovascular or bleeding risks in some people. The risk can be particularly important if you’re taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medicines.
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Ask: “Are any of my painkillers or other OTC medicines affecting my heart, blood pressure, kidneys, or other medications?”
Don’t make changes on your own
The goal isn’t to stop medications because you’re over 60. It’s to make sure every medication still has a clear benefit and that the dose and combination remain appropriate.
At your next appointment, bring a complete list of your prescriptions, OTC medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements and ask your doctor or pharmacist to review them together.
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Bottom line: After 60, medication review is especially valuable—but the right pills depend on your blood pressure, cholesterol, previous heart disease or stroke, kidney function, other illnesses, and bleeding risk.
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