Wonder pill that slashes heart attack risk by 40%
A ‘POLYPILL’ containing four drugs to treat high blood pressure and cholesterol can cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes by up to 40 per cent when taken with aspirin, a study suggests.
Scientists have also found that when taken on its own on a daily basis, the polypill may reduce the risk by about 20 per cent.
The researchers say the findings could help save millions of people from experiencing serious heart disease or strokes each year.
They also said the medication is convenient for patients to use as it combines multiple drugs in a single pill that can be taken once a day.
Professor Prem Pais, co-principal investigator of the study, said: ‘A polypill is not only effective, it is likely to be cost effective since it is based on using commonly-used generic drugs.’
Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of deaths globally, taking nearly 18million lives each year, according to the World Health organisation.
In the UK, there are more than seven million people living with heart and circulatory diseases, which cause nearly 170,000 deaths each year.
The study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, involved 5,714 people from nine countries. The men were aged 50 or older and women 55 or older. They had no previous heart disease or stroke incidents but were assessed as being at intermediate risk.
The researchers looked at the effects of the polypill alone compared with a placebo – or dummy pill – aspirin alone versus a placebo, and the polypill plus aspirin compared with a double placebo. The participants were followed for nearly five years.
The polypill used consisted of four drugs: simvastatin (40mg) – to treat high cholesterol – along with ramipril (10mg), atenolol (100mg) and hydrochlorothiazide ( 25mg) to reduce high blood pressure. Those in the aspirin groups were given a daily dose of 75mg of the drug, which thins the blood.
The researchers said that among those who continued to take the medications without interruption, the polypill combined with aspirin was associated with a 40 per cent reduction in the risk of ‘cardiovascular events’ compared with those who took two dummy pills.
Participants who took the polypill alone were 20 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those who took a placebo. There was a smaller reduction in risk for those who took aspirin alone.
Professor Pais, from St John’s Medical College and Research Institute in Bangalore, India, said: ‘Even if only one third of eligible people receive a polypill, its use is likely to avoid millions of individuals experiencing serious cardiovascular diseases worldwide.
‘A polypill is convenient for patients to use as it combines several effective drugs in a single pill and is taken once a day, which would be expected to improve adherence.’
Diana Tay, senior partner in innovations at the Wellcome Trust in London, which supported the research, said: ‘We hope that the study findings will add momentum for the polypill to be used globally.’
‘Convenient for patients to use’