The polypill

What’s wrong with this picture? Or rather, what’s wrong with this pill?

Last week I told you about the Polypill – the one-size-fits-all concept of heart disease prevention (“With A Capital T, That Rhymes With P” 6/30/03) that would combine a statin drug, three hypertension drugs, a low dose of aspirin, and some folic acid. The doctors that conceived of this six-in-one drug are affiliated with the Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine, and the research supporting the development of their Polypill was reported with great fanfare in the prestigious British Medical Journal (BMJ). The editor of BMJ even called the Polypill one of the most important medical advancements in the past 50 years.

Orit may be one of the most over-hyped and misguided pharmaceutical schemes of the past 50 years. Largely because the developers of the Polypill believe that everyone at risk of cardiovascular disease, and everyone over the age of 55 (regardless of their health condition) should receive a daily Polypill.

The Polypill formula has a long list of drawbacks, one of which is the aspirin – included to help prevent blood clotting. As an example of how aspirin can be dangerous for some patients with cardiovascular problems, let’s look at a study that was reported in July 2000.

Researchers examined the effect of aspirin on more than 5,000 men, aged 45-69. All of them had an increased risk of heart disease. Many of the men had hypertension, which placed them in the high-risk group. Results showed that subjects with higher blood pressure levels received no protective benefit from the aspirin. In fact, aspirin usage among these subjects increased the risk of serious bleeding.

Nowhere’s the good part:

This study was conducted by researchers at the Wolfson Institute of Preventative Medicine. And guess where it was reported? The British Medical Journal.

You can’t make this stuff up.

To Your Good Health,

Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute

Sources:
“Aspirin Not Beneficial for Every Heart” Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 6/30/00, abc.net.au
“Determination of Who May Derive Most Benefit from Aspirin in Primary Prevention: Subgroup Results from a Randomised Controlled Trial” British Medical Journal; 321:13-17, 7/1/00, bmj.com