Effectiveness of fixed dose combination medication (‘polypills’) compared with usual care in patients with cardiovascular disease or at high risk: A prospective, individual patient data meta-analysis of 3140 patients in six countries

Implications of prescribing a fixed-dose combination in clinical cardiology practice: a retrospective observational study using a single medical centre database in Korea

“…This makes it crucial to select the most appropriate candidates. The strong relationship between discontinuing FDC and the occurrence of CV events was observed and was most profound in the upper tertile, which was compatible with the findings of the SPACE study; the definite benefit of FDC was consistently observed in high-risk patients regarding blood pressure and dyslipidaemia 2. The importance of FDC appeared to be significant in the patients with many risk factors.…”

Reaching cardiovascular prevention guideline targets with a polypill-based approach: a meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials

“…The ESC guidelines recommend that all targets be met simultaneously, thus a single pill containing aspirin, statin and BP-lowering agents (a ‘polypill’) may assist by treating risk factors concurrently and enhancing uptake and adherence to guideline-recommended care. Polypill-based care has been shown to improve adherence, systolic BP and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol compared with usual care among patients with CVD or at high risk of their first event 4. No safety concerns beyond what would be expected given the component medications have been identified 4.…”

“…Polypill-based care has been shown to improve adherence, systolic BP and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol compared with usual care among patients with CVD or at high risk of their first event 4. No safety concerns beyond what would be expected given the component medications have been identified 4. Some European guidelines recommend considering the use of a polypill to increase adherence to cardiovascular drug therapy 5 6.…”

Pros and cons of polypharmacy in elderly patients with diabetes

“…It has been estimated that the use of this pill may result in 75% reduction of cardiovascular events [3]. Data from many clinical trials and meta-analyses indicate that the use of "polypill" improves adherence, decreases blood pressure and favourably modifies lipid profile [4]. Despite these encouraging reports, there are still many doubts concerning effectiveness and safety of FDC drugs in a population of patients aged more than 65 years, including those with T2DM.…”