Four-in-one pill cuts risk of heart attack by a third, study finds

By Shaun Wooller, The Sun, ( reposted in the New York Post )  August 23, 2019

https://nypost.com/2019/08/23/four-in-one-pill-cuts-risk-of-heart-attack-by-a-third-study-finds/

Heart Attack,  Shutterstock

A wonder pill containing four different drugs slashes the risk of heart attack and stroke by a third, a study has found.

The “polypill” includes a statin, aspirin and two blood pressure-lowering medications in one.

Researchers believe it will be welcomed by patients who tire of taking a handful of tablets daily.

The study analyzed data on 6,838 people aged 50 or older in Iran who were tracked for five years. Some were given the daily fixed-dose polypill and healthy lifestyle advice. Others were given healthy lifestyle advice alone.

Those who took the polypill cut their risk of major cardiovascular disease by 34%.

The study also found that the pill is safe and effective in people with and without a history of cardiovascular disease.

It lowered the risk of heart attack or stroke by 40% in those with no history and it cut the odds of further incidents by 20% in those who had suffered before.

The benefits were as high as 57% among volunteers who remembered to take the pill regularly.

The trial was run by the Tehran University of Medical Science and the University of Birmingham.

“Our results showed a significant reduction in major cardiovascular event risk in the polypill group,” professor Reza Malekzadeh, from Tehran, said.

“Because the risks of side-effects from the components are very low, and the potential benefits are very high, the polypill is very safe.

“But the polypill is not an alternative to a healthy lifestyle and should be combined with physical activity, a healthy diet, and smoking cessation.”

The scientists did not compare the effect of taking the single pill with taking all four drugs individually. But the benefits are expected to be comparable.

The findings are published in the medical journal, The Lancet.

“Patients who are taking statins and blood pressure drugs might find it more convenient to take one pill a day,” professor Tom Marshall, from the University of Birmingham, added.

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