Trial paves way for blood pressure four-in-one pill

COMBINING four blood pressure drugs into a single pill could be twice as effective as existing treatments, researchers have found.

In a breakthrough trial, every patient given the four-in-one “quadpill” saw their blood pressure drop to healthy levels within a month.

And because each drug is included in much lower doses than in conventional tablets, experts believe the combined medication will minimise side-effects.

The results of the small pilot trial, published in the Lancet medical journal this week, could offer a new approach for the hundreds of thousands in the UK who take daily tablets for their blood pressure.

High blood pressure – or hypertension – affects more than 17 million Britons, or one adult in three.

The condition vastly increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and vascular dementia but, because it has no symptoms, often until it is too late, only half of people even know they are at risk.

Of those who have been diagnosed, hundreds of thousands take daily pills to control their blood pressure.

The new study saw a 100% success rate. However, the researchers from the George Institute at Sydney University stressed that only 18 patients took part in the trial. Further research was needed to see if the results can be repeated, they said.

Study author Professor Clara Chow said: “Most people receive one medicine at a normal dose but that only controls blood pressure about half the time. In this small trial blood pressure control was achieved for everyone. Trials will now test whether this can be repeated and maintained long-term.”

The study involved giving patients a single capsule containing a quarter-dose of each of four common blood pressure drugs: irbesartan, amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide and atenolol.

Researchers believe reducing the dose of each drug minimises the risk of side-effects, which can include swollen ankles and kidney abnormalities. Even though the dose of each drug was lower, combining them increased their impact.

Chow said: “This could be an incredibly important step in helping to reduce the burden of disease globally.” – Daily Mail