Combination drugs more effective in BP treatment, says study

NEW DELHI: In a finding that could change the way hypertension is managed among Indians, a new study has shown that single pills containing a combination of Blood Pressure (BP)-lowering medications are safe and effective.

It is important because conventional practice encourages initiating a patient on a single BP-lowering medication, increasing its dosage depending on whether BP is under control or not and, if both fail, introducing other combinations, Dr Ambuj Roy, professor of cardiology at AIIMS and co-lead of the study, said.

In the study, carried out by AIIMS Delhi, Centre for Chronic Disease Control Delhi and Imperial College London, researchers assigned nearly 2,000 persons suffering from high BP to one of three treatment groups - to receive a single pill, often called a polypill, that included a combination of two commonly recommended medications .

Each of the three participant groups was prescribed a pill combining two of these medications: an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (perindopril), which prevent the arteries from narrowing; calcium channel blockers (amlodipine), which prevent calcium from entering the heart muscle and arteries; and/or diuretics (indapamide), which help the body excrete excess salt and water.

As per American Heart Association (AHA), the primary outcome measured 24-hour ambulatory systolic blood pressure after taking the pill daily for six months. The analysis found all three combinations lowered blood pressure equally, with about 70% participants achieving blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg, statement says. More than 40% of participants achieved the strictertarget of less than 130/80 mm Hg, it adds.


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