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Patients with cardiovascular disease should receive and adhere to recommended long-term preventive therapy consisting of at least three medications (an antiplatelet, a statin, and one or more antihypertensives). However, many patients in high-income countries — and most in low-income countries — do not receive such treatment.
To evaluate whether a fixed-dose combination drug improves adherence to preventive therapy, 91 primary-care physicians in New Zealand assigned 513 adults (50% indigenous Māori) with established cardiovascular disease or 5-year cardiovascular risk ≥15% to receive usual care (individualized treatment with antiplatelets, statins, and ≥2 antihypertensive drugs) or a “polypill” (aspirin, 75 mg; simvastatin, 40 mg; and lisino…