The Polypill Prevention Programme is a preventive medicine service to reduce the risk of first heart attacks and strokes. The service implements the Polypill approach in which a combination of commonly prescribed medications, that reduce several cardiovascular risk factors are administered together to individuals above a specified age without clinical cardiovascular disease and without selecting them on the basis of risk factors such as cholesterol or blood pressure.
The Polypill Prevention Programme began in 2006. Since no single pill was yet available, Polypill components were given separately, excluding aspirin because the risks of serious haemorrhage could outweigh the benefits. The Polypill formulation shown below was used.
| Polypill components and doses | Action on risk factor | |
|---|---|---|
| Simvastatin 40mg | Lowers serum cholesterol | |
| Lisinopril 5mg |  |
|
| Bendrofluazide 1.25mg | Lowers blood pressure | |
| Amlodipine 2.5mg | ||
| Folic acid 0.8mg | Lowers serum homocystine | |
