Download One pill for all heart problems - Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

timesofindia.indiatimes.com
(http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-05/science/41800742_1_polypill-cvd-new-pill)
One pill for all heart problems
Shimona Kanwar, TNN Sep 5, 2013, 05.47AM IST
CHANDIGARH: How often do you forget to pop that pill to control your shooting blood
pressure? Or skip the aspirin tablet that could have prevented a stroke at night? Not
anymore.
For the first time, doctors and researchers have come up with a single pill for all
cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including high blood pressure and vulnerability to stroke,
doing away with the pain of popping multiple pills to keep your heart healthy. Trials for this
new pill - called the polypill - across Europe and India have proved successful, according to
a study published on Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
As many as 28 Indian institutes, including AIIMS, PGIChandigarh and George Institute for
Global Health-India worked together as part of the study, planned by London's Imperial
College. The formulation for the drug was done by Dr Reddy's Laboratories.
"Most patients with high BP require multiple drugs to keep it under control. This raises the
problem of compliance over a prolonged period as patients often forget to take some of the
pills. In India, compliance to multiple pills for CVD is as low as 10%. Polypill will take care of
it," said Dr Vivekanand Jha, executive director of George Institute for Global Health-India.
While studies have shown that patients with CVD do not take recommended medications in
the long-term, the use of fixed-dose combinations (FDCs) like a polypill improves adherence
to a large extent. The study showed adherence rate increasing by 20% with use of the
polypill, a combination of aspirin, statin (cholesterol lowering drugs), and two blood pressurelowering agents.
Funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Program, the study has shown
evidence, for the first time, about the risks and benefits of the single pill.
As many as 2,004 people, in the mean age of 62 and with high risk of CVD, initially
participated in the study in India and across Europe between July 2010 and July 2011.
The trial follow-up concluded in July 2012. Previous trials have assessed short-term effects.
At the end of the study on 1921 of the participants, conducted for an average 15 months, it
was found that 829 (86.3%) of the 961 participants who were administered the polypill
continued with it. In comparison, only 621 (64.7%) of the 960 participants continued with
multiple pills as prescribed. But the study showed one limitation: If any of its components led
to some adverse effect, the polypill had to be discontinued.
The study involved the Imperial College, London's International Centre for Circulatory
Health, The George Institute for Global Health-India, Centre for Chronic Disease Control,
New Delhi, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin; Julius Center for Health Sciences
and Primary Care, Utrech; Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi and The George
Institute for Global Health, Sydney.
"These new findings dispel several myths about the polypill. Despite the use of older
medications and fixed doses, the polypill group improved blood pressure and cholesterol
levels simply because those surevyed took recommended medications more regularly," said
Prof D Prabhakaran, executive director of the Centre for Chronic Disease Control.