Single-pill combination therapy prevents CVD mortality

The use of single-pill combination (SPC) therapies can help in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) deaths, particularly in settings where uptake is currently low, suggests a study.

In this study, the authors used state-transition and demographic modelling approaches to project ischaemic heart disease- and stroke-related deaths and nonfatal events in 182 countries from 2023 to 2050. They modelled the effects of programs to roll out primary and secondary prevention SPCs in two scenarios relative to non-SPC (current) care.

The first scenario involved targeted strategies to improve adherence and reduce therapeutic inertia among patients already in care. In the second scenario, population-based strategies provided SPC therapies to individuals at moderate-to-high risk. Sensitivity analyses were conducted on adoption, long-term adherence, and the effect of aspirin.

The use of SPC therapies could prevent up to 29 million deaths and 51 million cases in the targeted scenario and up to 72 million deaths and 130 million cases in the population scenario over 2023–2050.

Countries in South and East Asia and the Pacific would benefit most from the use of SPC therapies for the prevention of fatal and nonfatal events. Additionally, SPC therapies could lower all-cause premature deaths by 2.0 percent in the targeted scenario and by 3.2 percent in the population scenario, enabling the achievement of global health targets.

“Uptake of drugs for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease is low in many countries,” the authors said. 

“SPC therapies consisting of a statin and one or more antihypertensive drugs, with or without aspirin, can reduce rates of fatal and nonfatal CVD, but their use is currently limited,” they added.