Is there a scope of Polypill in CMAAO countries in people with poor adherence to medicines?

Is there a scope of polypill in CMAAO countries in people with poor adherence to medicines?

Dr KK Aggarwal

President CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported positive results for people taking a polypill to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

The study enrolled 303 people with estimated 10-year risk of CVD at 13%.

Half of the study subjects were randomly assigned to receive a polypill containing low-dose atorvastatin (to lower cholesterol) and three medications to lower blood pressure (amlodipine, losartan, and hydrochlorothiazide). The other half were randomly assigned to “usual care” (as recommended by their personal physicians) and compared to the polypill group after one year.

Those assigned to the polypill group had larger reductions in blood pressure, larger drops in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and excellent medication adherence.

There were no serious medication-related side effects reported in either group.

Authors estimated that based on the observed reductions in blood pressure and cholesterol levels, treatment with the polypill could reduce cardiovascular events by 25%.

Also another study published in The Lancet, found a reduction in major cardiovascular events with a different polypill (which included aspirin)