"Polypill" to fight cardiovascular disease: Now who's playing God?

doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7418.807-a

BMJ 2003;327:807 (4 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7418.807-a

Letter

"Polypill" to fight cardiovascular disease

Now who's playing God?

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—The implications of Wald and Law's paper are trulymonumental.¹ Although they are scientifically brilliant andNobelian in their relevance, they are simultaneously unsettlingand alarming.

The impact of such a low cost initiative on individual and populationbased health parameters is potentially enormous. But having,at a stroke (to coin a phrase), slashed the risk of cardiovasculardisease—what then for humanity? Will everyone be thatmuch healthier, happier, and productive in his or her life?

As general practitioners, we have many patients nowadays whosecardiovascular problems have been managed by controlling theirblood pressure, reducing their low density lipoprotein cholesterolconcentration, and taking aspirin. Yet they continue to getolder and develop other problems—often of a serious, debilitating,and long term nature.

Having "lost" the cardiovascular market to the low cost generic"Polypill," pharmaceutical companies will surely then concentratetheir efforts on other avenues. So is it . . . [Full text of this article]

Steve Taylor, partner

steve@dox.co.nz

Angela Konings, partner

Sunset Road Family Doctors, 14/326 Sunset Rd, Mairangi Bay, Auckland 1310, New Zealand

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