Two-in-one heart pills ‘will save thousands’

SWITCHING millions of Britons to a “two-in-one” pill for blood pressure could save thousands of lives, experts say.

Around one in four adults in the UK takes multiple drugs for the condition, which is the biggest cause of heart disease and stroke.

But experts say only about half of those with high blood pressure are managing their illness properly – putting them at risk of deadly heart attacks. Many are deterred by a confusing cocktail of medications, with extra drugs often added when blood pressure becomes unstable.

Patients taking several drugs are four times more likely to miss a dose than those taking just one pill, research shows.

New guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) say those with raised blood pressure should be put on “two-in-one” pills, which are far more likely to be effective.

Speaking at the world’s largest cardiac conference, British experts said the shift could save thousands of lives.

Until now, GPs have been advised to start by putting patients on one drug, adding a second and a third if needed. The authors of the guidance said that while at least 80 per cent of cases should have been upgraded to be on multiple medication, most were not

– blaming “inertia” by doctors. Prof Bryan Williams, from University College London, said: “The vast majority of patients with high blood pressure should start treatment with two drugs as a single pill.

“These pills are already available and should massively improve the success of treatment, with corresponding reductions in strokes, heart disease, and early deaths.

“This could lead to the prevention of thousands more strokes and heart attacks per year,” added Prof Williams, one of the authors of the new guidelines.

NHS watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is now looking at whether patients should be prescribed combination pills, with ad- vice expected next year. Speaking at the ESC Congress in Munich, Prof Williams said two-in-one medication costs as little as 5p a day. But despite the benefits, few patients in the UK get them.

He added: “We have been using the same approach to lower blood pressure for the last 40 years … and too many people are dying as a consequence.

“We have to do something more drastic. Using more combinations pills would definitely save lives.”

The new guidelines also suggest lowering the threshold for the start of medication, from the current 140mmHg/90 to 130/85, for those under the age of 65.

It follows changes in advice from US cardiologists, who recommend medication even before this point.