Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?

The term "polypill" describes a pill that contains a combination of several medications commonly used to treat heart disease and high blood pressure. Health care providers aren't yet sure what the best combination of medications is for the polypill. It will probably include low doses of these medications:

• Aspirin
• Cholesterol-lowering medications (statins)
• Medications to make the heart beat with less force
• Medications to lower blood pressure

The polypill is still being studied. It's not currently available for sale in the United States. But studies suggest that the combined medication helps people better stick to their treatment. That's probably because it's easier to remember to take one medication than multiple ones.

The polypill also seems to be effective at lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Longer studies need to be done to show whether the combination drug will lower deaths from heart disease and stroke too.

There is some concern that taking a polypill might have more side effects than when medications are taken individually. However, there were low rates of side effects in recent clinical trials of the polypill. Possible side effects included a cough, muscle aches and stomach irritation.

One big drawback is that medication dosages can't be adjusted in a polypill. A possible fix is to have more than one type of polypill.