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A strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 80%.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES: To determine the combination of drugs and vitamins, and their doses, for use in a single daily pill to achieve a large effect in preventing cardiovascular disease with minimal adverse effects. The strategy was to simultaneously reduce four cardiovascular risk factors (low density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, serum homocysteine, and platelet function) regardless of pretreatment levels. DESIGN: We quantified the efficacy and adverse effects of the proposed formulation from published meta-analyses of randomised trials and cohort studies and a meta-analysis of 15 trials of low dose (50-125 mg/day) aspirin. OUTCOME MEASURES: Proportional reduction in ischaemic heart disease (IHD) events and strokes; life years gained; and prevalence of adverse effects. RESULTS: The formulation which met our objectives was: a statin (for example, atorvastatin (daily dose 10 mg) or simvastatin (40 mg)); three blood pressure lowering drugs (for example, a thiazide, a beta blocker, and an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor), each at half standard dose; folic acid (0.8 mg); and aspirin (75 mg). We estimate that the combination (which we call the Polypill) reduces IHD events by 88% (95% confidence interval 84% to 91%) and stroke by 80% (71% to 87%). One third of people taking this pill from age 55 would benefit, gaining on average about 11 years of life free from an IHD event or stroke. Summing the adverse effects of the components observed in randomised trials shows that the Polypill would cause symptoms in 8-15% of people (depending on the precise formulation). CONCLUSION: The Polypill strategy could largely prevent heart attacks and stroke if taken by everyone aged 55 and older and everyone with existing cardiovascular disease. It would be acceptably safe and with widespread use would have a greater impact on the prevention of disease in the Western world than any other single intervention.

SUBMITTER: Wald NJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC162259 | biostudies-literature | 2003 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 80%.

Wald N J NJ Law M R MR

BMJ (Clinical research ed.) 20030601 7404

<h4>Objectives</h4>To determine the combination of drugs and vitamins, and their doses, for use in a single daily pill to achieve a large effect in preventing cardiovascular disease with minimal adverse effects. The strategy was to simultaneously reduce four cardiovascular risk factors (low density lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, serum homocysteine, and platelet function) regardless of pretreatment levels.<h4>Design</h4>We quantified the efficacy and adverse effects of the proposed form ...[more]

PMID: 12829553

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Project description:BackgroundThe successful prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke has resulted in a substantial increase in longevity, with subsequent growth in the population of older people at risk for dementia.ObjectivesThe authors evaluated the relationship of coronary and other peripheral atherosclerosis to risk of death, dementia, and CHD in the very elderly. Because the extent of vascular disease differs substantially between men and women, sex- and race-specific analyses were included, with a specific focus on women with low coronary artery calcium (CAC) Agatston scores.MethodsWe evaluated the relationship between measures of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CAC, carotid intimal medial thickness, stenosis, and ankle brachial index) and risk of dementia, CHD, and total mortality in 532 participants of the Cardiovascular Health Study-Cognition Study from 1998/1999 (mean age, 80 years) to 2012/2013 (mean age, 93 years).ResultsThirty-six percent of participants had CAC scores >400. Women and African-Americans had lower CAC scores. Few men had low CAC scores. CAC score and number of coronary calcifications were directly related to age-adjusted total mortality and CHD. The age-specific incidence of dementia was higher than for CHD. Only about 25% of deaths were caused by CHD and 16% by dementia. Approximately 64% of those who died had a prior diagnosis of dementia. White women with low CAC scores had a significantly decreased incidence of dementia.ConclusionsIn subjects 80+ years of age, there is a greater incidence of dementia than of CHD. CAC, as a marker of atherosclerosis, is a determinant of mortality, and risk of CHD and myocardial infarction. White women with low CAC scores had a significantly decreased risk of dementia. A very important unanswered question, especially in the very elderly, is whether prevention of atherosclerosis and its complications is associated with less Alzheimer disease pathology and dementia. (Cardiovascular Health Study [CHS]; NCT00005133).

Project description:In the emerging landscape of cardiovascular (CV) outcome trials evaluating the effects of blood glucose lowering drugs in individuals with type 2 diabetes, it is becoming increasingly apparent that since the promising signals coming from the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) no unequivocal benefits have been established for any single therapy thus far. There is an unmet need for introducing an effective pharmacological agent which could target both correlates of glycaemic regulation and CV risk factors, to ameliorate the enormous burden of fatal and non-fatal CV events in diabetic patients. Acarbose, like other alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs), has been proven to be an effective antidiabetic treatment for decades, but the overall significant impact of this class of drugs on modulating CV risk has only recently been appreciated. Accumulating evidence has shown that apart from its multiple effects on primarily postprandial glucose dysmetabolism, a key component of mechanisms linked to increased incidence of CV events, acarbose therapy also associates with a favorable impact on an array of surrogate markers of CV disease. Data stemming from in vitro testing of human cell lines as well as from preliminary trials in diabetic populations, like the Study to Prevent Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (STOP-NIDDM) trial, have highlighted - though not undisputed - the potential beneficial effects of the drug on CV morbidity. Large scale trials, like the ongoing Acarbose Cardiovascular Evaluation (ACE) trial, aim at conclusively establishing such a positive effect in patients with coronary heart disease and impaired glucose tolerance. In view of its usually acceptable level of side effects that are, if they occur, mostly limited to transient gastrointestinal symptoms, acarbose could well be a strong future player in CV disease secondary prevention. Current discouraging results from many trials of antidiabetic medications to significantly lower CV event rates in diabetic patients, should only draw further attention on alternative glucose lowering agents, among which acarbose is indeed promising.

Project description:OBJECTIVES: To estimate the potential impact of universal screening for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (National Health Service Health Checks) on disease burden and socioeconomic inequalities in health in England, and to compare universal screening with alternative feasible strategies. DESIGN: Microsimulation study of a close-to-reality synthetic population. Five scenarios were considered: baseline scenario, assuming that current trends in risk factors will continue in the future; universal screening; screening concentrated only in the most deprived areas; structural population-wide intervention; and combination of population-wide intervention and concentrated screening. SETTING: Synthetic population with similar characteristics to the community dwelling population of England. PARTICIPANTS: Synthetic people with traits informed by the health survey for England. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Cardiovascular disease cases and deaths prevented or postponed by 2030, stratified by fifths of socioeconomic status using the index of multiple deprivation. RESULTS: Compared with the baseline scenario, universal screening may prevent or postpone approximately 19?000 cases (interquartile range 11?000-28?000) and 3000 deaths (-1000-6000); concentrated screening 17?000 cases (9000-26?000) and 2000 deaths (-1000-5000); population-wide intervention 67?000 cases (57?000-77?000) and 8000 deaths (4000-11?000); and the combination of the population-wide intervention and concentrated screening 82?000 cases (73?000-93?000) and 9000 deaths (6000-13?000). The most equitable strategy would be the combination of the population-wide intervention and concentrated screening, followed by concentrated screening alone and the population-wide intervention. Universal screening had the least apparent impact on socioeconomic inequalities in health. CONCLUSIONS: When primary prevention strategies for reducing cardiovascular disease burden and inequalities are compared, universal screening seems less effective than alternative strategies, which incorporate population-wide approaches. Further research is needed to identify the best mix of population-wide and risk targeted CVD strategies to maximise cost effectiveness and minimise inequalities.

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A strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 80%.

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A strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 80%.

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