A new cocktail of medications in a single pill could help reduce the risk of heart attacks by 72 percent and strokes by 64 percent in people over the age of fifty. This latest polypill that targets high blood pressure and cholesterol contains a combination of three blood pressure drugs i.e. amlodipine, losartan and hydrochlorothiazide along with simvastatin - to lower 'bad' cholesterol. All these drugs are already widely used to prevent heart attacks and strokes, but people often find it hard to remember or struggle to take several different tablets on a daily basis. In order to make the preventive process easier for the public, such a polypill has been created. Unlike earlier 'super' pill formulations to treat high cholesterol and blood pressure, the latest version of the polypill does not contain aspirin, as it may increase the risk of complications such as stomach bleeding.
In a recent study conducted in the U.K. to prove the efficacy of the polypill, eighty-four men and women over the age of fifty were split into two groups. For a period of three months, one group was given the polypill and the other group, a placebo or inactive tablet. After three months, the groups were switched so as to study the effects of the medication on all subjects and to reduce the effect of other variables that may have influenced the results. At the end of the six-month trial period, the results of this study showed that that the polypill reduced blood pressure by 12% and LDL cholesterol by 39%. This is by far the largest reduction in BP and cholesterol readings from any polypill trial. The study is also considered a milestone in the field of heart disease and stroke prevention due to its use of crossover trial groups, rather than the more traditional parallel group design, as it provides the results of the research with a significantly higher statistical upper hand as compared to other studies. The study did not test the risks and harms of the polypill considering that all four drugs have long been successfully used to treat high blood pressure and cholesterol. At the end of the trial, some of the subjects reported side effects such as swelling of the ankles, tongues and lips, skin rashes, muscle pain and coughs, but none felt that these symptoms were a deterrent from using the polypill.
Researchers on the study believe that if this polypill was approved, it could reduce the number of deaths from heart disease by a staggering fifty percent. And while there are no hundred percent guarantees against a heart attack or a stroke, the results of the study indicate that such medical emergencies could be delayed by up to eleven years if the pill is taken daily. The next step then is to get the regulatory bodies concerned to approve the polypill on an urgent basis so that more people can benefit from its far-reaching health benefits.
While such research into polypills is encouraging, experts at the British Heart Foundation are cautious about prescribing such medication on a large scale. The biggest worry is that people will regard such preventative medications as an alternative to a healthy balanced lifestyle. According to them, eating well, not smoking and exercising regularly should still be emphasized as the best and most effective ways to prevent heart disease and strokes. Before the polypill is available over-the-counter, there is also a need for more evidence that takes into consideration actual death rates rather than only blood pressure and cholesterol measurements. The risks and potential harm of such a polypill needs to be investigated in detail as well, before any large-scale prescription is allowed.
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