'Polypill' reduces heart disease in trial

A once-a-day pill combining four different drugs reduced the risk of heart disease in a large clinical trial, validating an idea floated more than 15 years ago that a “polypill” could be a cheap and easy intervention. For the study, researchers followed more than 6,800 participants in Iran, half of whom took a polypill and half of whom received lifestyle advice. Over five years, 8.8% of the participants in the non-drug group had a serious cardiovascular event (heart failure, hospitalization, stroke, etc.) versus 5.9% of polypill takers. People in the polypill group who took their pill most frequently had even lower rates of heart problems. The polypill consisted of aspirin, atorvastatin, hydrochlorothiazide, and either enalapril or valsartan, which together target cholesterol and blood pressure.