Fixed-dose combination therapy (polypill) for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
OBJECTIVE
Is fixed-dose combination therapy (polypill) that combines antiplatelet, blood pressure-lowering, and cholesterol-lowering medications into a single pill associated with improved cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors or reduced all-cause mortality or fatal and nonfatal CVD events? Is the polypill associated with an increase in adverse events?


CONCLUSIONS
Polypills are associated with greater reductions in systolic blood pressure and total cholesterol compared with usual care, placebo, or active comparators, but also with a 19% higher risk of any adverse event. Due to limited power from available evidence, the association of polypills with all-cause mortality or fatal and nonfatal CVD events is uncertain.
Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
Mark D
MD
Huffman
Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom.
Angharad N
AN
de Cates
Department of Noncommunicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Camden, United Kingdom.
Shah
S
Ebrahim
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D001241:Aspirin