According to a study, about one-third reduction in the strokes and heart attacks was observed in people taking a polypill containing four medicines.
This polypill has a blood thinner- aspirin, a medicine that reduces cholesterol, and two medications to reduce hypertension.
As per researchers in the UK and Iran, the combination polypill had a great impact but was cost-effective.
They believed that this pill should be prescribed to everyone above a fixed age in economically backward countries, where physicians have vey less options. The leading causes of deaths all over the world, which killed around 15 million persons or more per year, included stroke and coronary heart disease.
The various factors that predispose a person to various heart disorders comprised of obesity smoking and performing less physical activity or exercise.
A study given in the Lancet involved about 6,800 people from greater than 100 villages in Iran.
About 50% of the individuals were administered this combination pill and advised on how to make changes in their lifestyle for better, while 50% were just given advice.
Results over five years showed
- About 202 main cardiovascular problems in 3,421 who consumed the polypill
- About 301 cardiovascular problems in 3,417 who did not consume the polypill.
Looking at this proportion, administering this preventative combination of drugs to 35 individuals would avoid from having a critical heart health issue over 5 years.
“We’ve provided evidence in a developing or middle-income country – and that’s a lot of countries – that this is a strategy worth considering,” Professor Tom Marshall, from the University of Birmingham, informed BBC News.
The study showed that this combination pill greatly reduces bad cholesterol levels but had a mild effect on BP (blood pressure). This drug was administered to people above 50 years of age irrespective of whether they were having history of heart health or not.
About one- third of Britons having hypertension were not aware that they have the condition.
Dr. Nizal Sarrafzadegan, of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran stated, “Given the polypill’s affordability, there is considerable potential to improve cardiovascular health and to prevent the world’s leading cause of death.”
The concept of this pill is there from 2001. However, this is the 1st main trial to show its efficacy.
Physicians in UK and another developed countries have time to evaluate the individual requirements of the patients and an extensive range of medications, like statins, from which they can pick a drug.
“In the UK, the advantages would be more marginal and you would probably want a clinical trial to see any benefits over what is offered at the moment,” stated Prof Marshall.
Also, this polypill is not registered in UK and it is also difficult get it approved. “This means that the biggest priority in the UK is to identify more people who do not realize they have high blood cholesterol or high blood pressure and to help people prescribed medications to take them as prescribed,” the charity commented.
