Four-In-One Pill Prevents Third Of Heart Problems

[appalachiablue]

Source: BBC News

A daily pill containing four medicines can cut the number of heart attacks and strokes by a third, a study shows. The polypill contains blood-thinning aspirin, a cholesterol-lowering statin and two drugs to lower blood pressure.

The researchers - in Iran and the UK - said the pill had a huge impact but cost just pennies a day. They suggest giving it to everyone over a certain age in poorer countries, where doctors have fewer options and are less able to assess individuals.

Coronary heart disease and stroke are the top two causes of death worldwide, killing more than 15 million people a year. Smoking, obesity and doing little exercise all increase the risk of an unhealthy heart.

The study, published in the Lancet, was based in more than 100 villages in Iran and about 6,800 people took part. Half the people were given the polypill and advice on how to improve their lifestyle, with the other half just getting the advice. -MORE...


Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49434337

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After 5 years there were: ◾202 major cardiovascular events in the 3,421 people getting the polypill ◾301 in the 3,417 not getting the pill

At this rate, giving the preventative drug combination to 35 people would prevent one of them developing a serious heart problem over the course of 5 years. "We've provided evidence in a developing or middle-income country - and that's a lot of countries - that this is a strategy worth considering," Professor Tom Marshall, from the University of Birmingham, told BBC News.

The polypill led to large reductions in bad cholesterol but had only a slight effect on blood pressure, the study showed. The drug was given to people over the age of 50 whether they had had a previous heart problem or not.
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- Science Mag. Aug. 23, '19. 'New ‘polypill’ could cut heart attack risk by half.'

Cardiovascular diseases kill more people every year globally than any other cause. A new daily pill could slash that risk, but experts are divided on the ethics of the treatment, The New York Times reports. Just one “polypill” a day—a single capsule containing aspirin, two blood pressure drugs, and a cholesterol-lowering statin—reduced the risk of all cardiovascular events by around one-third, and heart attacks by half, for nearly 7000 Iranian villagers, researchers report this week in The Lancet.

But while the results of the study were promising, some experts stress the dangers of giving out a “one-size-fits-all” medication—especially because each of the drugs in the polypill come with their own side effects. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/08/new-polypill-could-cut-heart-attack-risk-half

[dalton99a]

1. Kick

[mcar]

2. Interesting

Thanks.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. It's an improvement

but statistics are less than startling.

[Aristus]

5. Not from a medical research point of view.

That part about treating thirty-five patients in order to prevent one adverse cardiac event is what researchers call the 'number needed to treat'. And 1 in 35 is spectacularly good.

There's a converse, of course; the 'number needed to harm', the number of patients treated versus how many of them suffered a harmful event as a result. 1 in 35 is so bad that it should never even be considered for release to the market, and they usually suspend all testing after learning of a result like that. A number needed to harm that gets a medication to market is usually around 1 in 10,000.

[Vinca]

4. What's it cost in the U.S. - $500 bucks a dose?

[Raven]

6. I've been taking that combination for years so are they doing this so that they can jack the price?

[sigpooie]

7. Not sure I'm the best example, but

I use asprin, with cq10 and a pharmacy grade vitamin supplement with 22 amino acids to solve the heart issues. And so far at 60 i can run and work as hard as any 30 year old. I also use acupressure to solve pain of fatigue issues. Baffles my doctor since she is always tried to get me to stop smoking. Eating lighter and working hard in heat and cold seems to keep my body and mind working better. Yoga is the trick to keep you from looking like and old person. Keeps you flexable. My wife who is 12 years younger agrees.
But number one and something i have used for over 30 years to stay healthy is ionic silver. My medical bills over 30 years thanks to this substance are just under 4500 and that included a broken foot. And i have only missed 21 days offer work in the 30 years. So look it up, it will stop virus and bacteria type illnesses from keeping you down. You can make your own and i have for 20 years. This easy effort drives the cost from 24 per quart to .32 per gallon. I use it with my pets, pool and hot tub.
And one more thing. Cbd and thc are much better that any of the meds they give you for anxiety and chronic pain. I have known this to be true since 1973. Enough said and for the love of god, please try some of these..