title: Multifactorial Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Hypertension: the Cardiovascular Polypill.
abstract: Hypertension is a major, if not the most important, contributor to the disease burden and premature death globally which is largely related to cardiovascular disease. In both the primary and the secondary preventions of cardiovascular disease, blood pressure (BP) targets are often not achieved which is similar to achievement of cholesterol goals. Combining aspirin, cholesterol and blood pressure-lowering agents into a fixed-dose combination pill called the cardiovascular polypill has been proposed as complementary care in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in both the primary and secondary preventions of cardiovascular disease. This review article focuses on the potential role of fixed-dose combination therapy in the treatment of hypertension, outlines the pros and cons of combination therapy and emphasizes the rationale for trialling their use. Current and planned future cardiovascular polypill trials are summarized, and the prerequisites for implementation of the polypill strategy are described.
authors.affiliation: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.|Department of Vascular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lafeber
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands. w.spiering@umcutrecht.nl.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Spiering
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F L J
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Visseren
authors.affiliation: Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Grobbee
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: Adherence; Cholesterol; Combination pill; Fixed-dose combination therapy; Hypertension; Polypill; Prevention