EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY

£1 'superpill' could cut heart attacks by 80% (Nigel Hawkes, June 27, 2003, Times of London)

By combining four therapies, the proposed “polypill” could eliminate 200,000 premature deaths a year in Britain alone. Aimed mostly at the over 55s, it would end the need for complex screening, and might be sold in supermarkets and pubs for less than £1 a day. [...]

“Those who can be identified as at risk are a minority. But a third of people over 55 who would otherwise suffer heart attack or stroke would benefit, and gain on average an extra 12 years of life.

“Chasing risk factors is a mistaken strategy. By giving this pill to everybody we can reverse the damage of a lifetime. We have been telling people to change their lifestyles, but the practical effect is small. In Western society the risk factors are high in us all, so everyone is at risk.”

And you don't have to change your lifestyle? Bonus! Posted by Orrin Judd at June 27, 2003 12:22 PM