Increased use of polypills 'will avert premature CVD deaths'

A network of physicians, researchers, economists, policymakers and industry experts attending the World Congress of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Health (WCC 2016) have agreed to make polypills more available worldwide for preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD).

This is according to a press release from the World Heart Federation (WHF).

Currently, it is estimated that 200 million people suffer from CVD and are at high risk of suffering from heart attacks, stroke or death.

However, use of secondary prevention medicines like ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, aspirin and satin are recommended to avert complications.

Notably, majority of patients with CVD in both low and high-income countries are currently not receiving these proven medications.

It is on this basis that the WCC 2016 recommends combining these medicines into one single medicine commonly referred to as polypill to increase adherence to medication thereby preventing premature death from CVD.

 "Use of medicines for secondary prevention of CVD is extremely inadequate in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and is sub-optimal in high-income countries," said Dr Salim Yusuf, President of the World Heart Federation.

"In LMICs, these drugs are not available and when available, they are often not affordable. Use of a polypill can improve affordability and access to these life-saving drugs."

The key outputs from the meeting to ensure the widespread use of polypills for secondary prevention of CVD, include;

ongoing work to  identify existing barriers to delivery of a worldwide polypill strategy for CVD prevention

supporting the inclusion of polypills in the World Health (WHO) Essential Medicine Lists (EML).

advocating for and facilitating the widespread introduction of polypills in different settings, including those with low resources.

Professor Amir Attaran, Professor of Law & Medicine, University of Ottawa, said: "An affordable, effective polypill would be a therapeutic breakthrough of nearly unparalleled global importance, particularly in emerging countries that currently lack good quality CVD care."

 Many of the discussions at this year's recently concluded meeting centered on reducing premature deaths from cardiovascular disease and the WHF priority areas of hypertension control, tobacco control and secondary prevention.