Polypill hints at future heart disease prevention
4 July 2003
Taking a single combination pill daily could reduce the incidence of cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease by over 80 per cent, UK researchers have found.
The researchers present the concept of combining 6 active components in one pill (the ‘Polypill’) taken every day from age 55, or sooner if people have a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease or diabetes (British Medical Journal 2003; 326: 1427-31).
The Polypill would contain the combination of:
- a statin (a cholesterol lowering medication);
- a thiazide (a diuretic or ‘fluid’ tablet);
- a beta blocker (used to lower blood pressure, treat angina, and some other heart conditions);
- an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (a blood pressure lowering medication);
- folic acid (a vitamin); and
- aspirin (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication).
The radical strategy is based on analysis of over 750 trials involving 400,000 participants.
Each component of the Polypill would reduce one of 4 cardiovascular risk factors:
- low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (so-called ‘bad’ cholesterol);
- blood pressure;
- serum homocysteine (elevated levels of this blood chemical are linked to an increased risk of blood vessel disease); and
- the function of platelets (cells involved in forming blood clots).
The researchers say the pill need not be expensive and should be safe with minimal side effects. Trials of the Polypill are planned, to see if the combination is safe and effective, and may take several years to complete.
The authors suggest that the pill would be taken without a medical examination or measurement of risk factors as treatment would be effective whatever initial levels of cardiovascular risk factors were present.
Last Reviewed: 04 July 2003
