There is a trail that started January 4, which prevents those who take the new drug, polypill, from heart attacks and strokes. The pill is introduced for the over-50s and everyone with existing cardiovascular disease. The polypill, which is a combination of low doses of several drugs to bring down cholesterol and blood pressure, which could result in saving lives by preventing diseases. All components are out of patent and therefore can be copied and are cheap. This trial is a step towards the polypill becoming a reality and to be sold in every local pharmacy. The trial will include 100 people, selected on the basis of age alone, who will take the pill for 12 weeks and a placebo for 12 weeks, without knowing which one is which. They will be monitored for the effects on their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. At the end of the 24 weeks, all will be given the polypill for a further two years to help assess the long-term benefits.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jan/04/heart-attack-stroke-polypill-trial-begins
I wonder how the trial will go and how many people will be free from side effects. A couple of years ago it was all about taking aspirin everyday to prevent these diseases. It was said that the pill was safe for everyone to take, but it turned out it had a nasty side affect. Aspirin sometimes causes serious stomach bleeding. I think only time can tell what the catch is. I think there is not a single drug on earth that is absolutely free of anything that can disrupt your body. It has to be, because drugs do not originally belong in your body. I hate the thought of ’preventing drugs’. Some people are too busy protecting their lives, instead of living them. It is different when you are struggling disease. Technology is not there for nothing. We should use it. I wonder if we do not sometimes get to exited with all our possibilities and take technology too far.
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