A “polypill” could cut the risk of heart disease by more than a quarter, researchers reported last night.
A major study conducted in India has concluded that taking a single pill could be as good as taking four separate medicines.
More than 2,000 people took part in the research, which tested a combination of three blood pressure drugs, a cholesterol lowering drug and aspirin.
The findings were being reported at a conference of the American College of Cardiology in Florida, USA, and also today in The Lancet on-line.
Doctors have been talking about developing a polypill for some time as so many people are now committed to taking daily drugs to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol.
Those taking part in the study did not have heart disease but had one risk factor such as high cholesterol, excessive weight or high blood pressure.
Some 412 took the polypill, known as Polycap, whilst others took individual drugs.
The study found Polycap was as good at reducing blood pressure as the individual drugs but slightly less good at reducing cholesterol levels.
Researchers Dr Salim Yusuf, of McMaster University, Ontario, Canada, and Dr Prem Pais, of St John’s Medical College, Bangalore, India, write: “The reductions in blood pressure that we recorded in this non-hypertensive population with the Polycap could theoretically lead to about a 24 per cent risk reduction in cardiovascular heart disease and 33 per cent risk reduction in strokes in individuals with average blood pressure levels.
“On the basis of the more modest lowering of LDL cholesterol that we noted, a 27 per cent relative risk reduction in cardiovascular heart disease and an eight per cent risk reduction in stroke can be projected.”
British experts called for more research.
June Davison, a heart nurse with the British Heart Foundation, said: “The results suggest that the polypill has the potential to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. We now need further research to examine whether the polypill actually reduces mortality.”
The drugs used in the polypill were hydrocholorothiazide, atenolol, ramipril, simvastatin and aspirin.
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