Downplaying the Polypill
July 24, 2012
THERE is much more to healthy
living than just taking a tablet,
according to the UK’s Royal
Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).
The comments follow in the wake
of a recent UK study published in
PLoS One which saw researchers
provide 86 participants aged over
50 and with no history of
cardiovascular disease, with a Polypill.
The Polypill is a four-in-one therapy
which bundles amlodipine 2.5mg,
losartan 25mg, hydrochlorothiazide
12.5 mg and simvastatin 40mg
together in one dose.
The participants took the pill each
evening for 12 weeks and a placebo
each evening for 12 weeks in
random sequence.
The research results found that
participants’ mean systolic blood
pressure was reduced 12% on the
Polypill, and that their diastolic
blood pressure dropped 11%,
whilst their LDL cholesterol reduced
by 39% on the once-daily
medication.
The results prompted a host of
stories extolling the Polypill’s
virtues which in turn piqued the
public’s interest.
“The polypill may have some
promise but we’ve got to
remember that this study is based
on 86 people and we’d need to see
evidence in 10-20,000 more before
we could consider medicating all
people over the age of 50 to
reduce their risk of the heart
attacks and strokes,” the RPS said.
“It’s tricky to identify the correct
group of patients for this type of
intervention and we’re in danger
of giving a message that all you
need to do when you get to 50 is
take a tablet and your problems
will be sorted out.
“There’s much more to healthy
living then just taking a tablet and
lifestyle is so important for
reducing risk of heart attacks and
strokes - eating healthily, doing
physical activity, not smoking and
maintaining a good bodyweight,”
the RPS added.
Despite this statement, the RPS
did concede that combining the
medications into one tablet may
make life easier for patients.
The caveat to this however,
according to the RPS, is that this
ease of use single pill would come
at a greater cost price than the
individual drugs themselves.
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