Polypills for the prevention of Cardiovascular diseases

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Preventive Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading global cause of mortality, accounting for 17.5 million deaths annually.
• Cardiovascular polypills, combining multiple medications, have emerged as a promising strategy to manage CVD risk factors.
• Recent data, including the first polypill outcomes trial, necessitate a review of their role in CVD prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the existing literature on the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of cardiovascular polypills.
• To discuss current controversies and identify future research directions for polypill implementation.
• To evaluate polypills for both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov.
• Search conducted from database inception until June 25, 2016, using the keyword 'polypill'.
• Review focused on studies assessing polypill safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Cardiovascular polypills containing aspirin, statin, and antihypertensives are safe and effective.
• These polypills demonstrate significant potential for both primary and secondary CVD prevention.
• The strategy is considered cost-effective when combined with lifestyle interventions.

Conclusions:

• Cardiovascular polypills represent an attractive, safe, and cost-effective approach for CVD prevention.
• Future research should focus on identifying optimal patient populations and developing diverse polypill formulations.
• Regulatory strategies are needed to enhance global polypill availability and accessibility.