A cardiovascular polypill could be a cost-effective tool for reducing health disparities and improving patient quality of life, according to a Jan. 8 study published in JAMA Cardiology.
Researchers from across the U.S. analyzed data of 100,000 people from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, pooled longitudinal cohort studies, the Southern Community Cohort Study Polypill Trial and other published literature.
Here are five things to know from the study:
- A cardiovascular polypill is a single pill containing a statin and three half-standard-dose antihypertensives.
- Polypill use was projected to yield a mean of 1,190 additional quality-adjusted life years compared with usual care, with a cost of about $10,152,000.
- Polypill treatment would have cost $8,560 per quality-adjusted life year and was determined to be of high value, meaning its incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was less than $50,000 per quality-adjusted life year gained.
- Among 3,602,427 trial-eligible non-Hispanic Black U.S. individuals, polypill treatment remained of high value and had an estimated cost of $13,400 per quality-adjusted life year gained.
- "Polypill treatment could be a high value intervention for a low-income, majority Black population with limited access to health care services," the study authors wrote.
Read the full study here.