Researchers from Tehran University of Medical Sciences have found a simple and low-cost way to protect people from serious heart problems like heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
Their idea is to combine four common heart medicines into one single pill, called a polypill.
Many people who have heart disease or are at risk of it need to take several different medicines every day.
But this can be hard to manage and expensive, especially for those who live in places where medical care is not always easy to get. The polypill offers a much easier solution. Instead of taking several pills, people can take just one.
The polypill used in this study includes four well-known medicines: a small dose of aspirin to help stop blood clots, a cholesterol-lowering drug called atorvastatin, and two blood pressure medicines—hydrochlorothiazide and enalapril.
Each of these drugs is already used widely on its own, but combining them into one pill makes it simpler for people to take them every day.
To test how well the polypill works, researchers ran a study in Iran with about 6,800 people between the ages of 50 and 75. Some of them had a history of heart disease, and others did not.
Everyone in the study got advice on how to live a healthy lifestyle. However, only half of the participants were given the polypill. The other half continued with their regular care.
After five years, the results were clear. Only 6 out of every 100 people who took the polypill had a major heart problem, while 9 out of 100 people who did not take the polypill had such issues.
That’s a 34% reduction in risk. Even when the researchers adjusted the results to account for other medications people were taking, the benefit was still strong—a 22% drop in risk. And those who took the pill regularly saw the most benefit, with their risk going down by at least 70%.
The study found that the biggest benefit of the polypill came from lowering cholesterol. While it also helped reduce blood pressure, the cholesterol effect seemed more important in preventing heart problems.
This finding could be especially helpful in countries where it’s hard for people to see doctors often or pay for multiple prescriptions. A single, affordable pill that protects the heart could help millions of people stay healthier.
Even in wealthier countries, the polypill could be useful for people who have trouble remembering to take several different medications each day.
In short, the polypill is a simple but powerful idea. It shows that making treatment easier can help people live longer, healthier lives.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about why light-to-moderate drinking is linked to better heart health and reconsidering the long-term use of high blood pressure beta blockers after a heart attack.
For more about heart health, please read studies about heart disease hidden and essential vitamins for heart health: a guide to a healthy heart.
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