A combination therapy of aspirin, statins, and at least two blood pressure medications given in fixed doses can slash the risk of fatal cardiovascular disease (CVD) by more than half, stated an international study led by researchers in Canada and India.
Published in The Lancet two days ago, the study has been presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress by the authors.
The fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapies were examined both with and without aspirin versus control groups in a combined analysis of more than 18,000 patients without prior CVD from three large clinical trials. FDCs including aspirin cut the risk of heart attacks by 53%, stroke by 51%, and deaths from cardiovascular causes by 49%.
About 80% of cardiovascular events occur in individuals without a prior history of such illness, meaning effective preventative strategies including medications in people without CVD is essential, if the majority of heart attacks, strokes and related deaths in the world are to be prevented, said the authors of the study.
The study involved investigators from 13 countries, including St John’s Research Institute in Bengaluru, and included participants from 26 countries.
