Polypill for Primary Prevention: Largest-Yet Reductions in BP, Cholesterol in Small UK Trial

The polypill, as in roly-poly, is more for the fat than the intended-sized.

Results of the first trial to look at the effects of a polypill given to people solely on the basis of age for the primary prevention of CVD have shown the largest reductions in blood pressure and cholesterol levels of any polypill study to date.

On average, participants--who were aged >50--experienced a 12% reduction in BP and 39% fall in LDL cholesterol during the 12-week study, achieving levels typical of people aged 20, says lead author Dr David S Wald (Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, London, UK), who together with colleagues, report the findings in PLoS One. "The health implications of our results are large. If people took the polypill long term from age 50, an estimated 28% would avoid or delay a heart attack or stroke during their lifetime and gain, on average, 11 years of life free of cardiovascular events," he told heartwire .

How about fewer Calories in than out for primary prevention?