Strengths and Limitations of Using the Polypill in Cardiovascular Prevention

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Polypill and its role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention has been extensively discussed and debated since the inception of the concept in 2003. This article reviews the subsequent accumulated research in this area. RECENT FINDINGS: Several short and intermediate to long-term studies with different brands of polypills have analysed the impact of polypill in phase II and III trials. The strengths of polypill that have emerged include better adherence, equivalent or better risk factor control and quality of life among polypill users as compared to usual care. The lurking limitations include difficulty with dose adjustment to targets, fear of mass medicalisation and low acceptability among physicians. The current literature supports polypill use in reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels for CVD prevention with improvement in adherence to medication. However, the long-term outcome of polypill on CVD events and mortality are unavailable and are currently being studied in clinical trials.