The risk for major adverse cardiovascular events is reduced among patients within 6 months of previous MI who receive treatment with a polypill compared with usual care, according to a study published in NEJM. Jose M. Castellano, MD, PhD, and colleagues conducted a phase 3 randomized trial of 2,499 patients with MI within the previous 6 months who were randomly assigned to a polypill-based strategy— aspirin, ramipril, and atorvastatin—or usual care and followed for a median of 36 months. A primary outcome event (cardiovascular death, nonfatal type 1 MI, non-fatal ischemic stroke, or urgent revascularization) occurred in 9.5% of the polypill group and in 12.7% of the usual care group (HR, 0.76). A key secondary outcome event (cardiovascular death, non-fatal type 1 MI, or non-fatal ischemic stroke) occurred in 8.2% and 11.7% of the polypill and usual care groups, respectively (HR, 0.70). Patient reported medication adherence was higher in the polypill group.
