Reconsidering the Polypill for Management of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Underserved Patients

Combinatorial approaches for novel cardiovascular drug discovery: a review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

In this article, authors report an inclusive discussion about the combinatorial approach for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and for counteracting the cardiovascular risk factors. The mentioned strategy was demonstrated to be useful for improving the efficacy of pharmacological treatments and in CVDs showed superior efficacy with respect to the classical monotherapeutic approach.

AREAS COVERED

According to this topic, authors analyzed the combinatorial treatments that are available on the market, highlighting clinical studies that demonstrated the efficacy of combinatorial drug strategies to cure CVDs and related risk factors. Furthermore, the review gives an outlook on the future perspective of this therapeutic option, highlighting novel drug targets and disease models that could help the future cardiovascular drug discovery.

EXPERT OPINION

The use of specifically designed and increasingly rational and effective drug combination therapies can therefore be considered the evolution of polypharmacy in cardiometabolic and CVDs. This approach can allow to intervene on multiple etiopathogenetic mechanisms of the disease or to act simultaneously on different pathologies/risk factors, using the combinations most suitable from a pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological perspective, thus finding the most appropriate therapeutic option.

Polypharmacy and Cardiovascular Diseases: Consideration for Older Adults and Women

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The intent of this review is to provide an update in polypharmacy in older adults and women with a focus on common determinants and strategies to mitigate polypharmacy.

RECENT FINDINGS

Polypharmacy is becoming a critical focus in the management of cardiovascular diseases. It may emerge unintentionally while managing multimorbidity in older adults or in the vulnerable subgroup of patients, such as pregnant and lactating females. Clinicians should utilize several approaches such as deprescribing, sex-specific risk assessment, and encouraging healthy lifestyle to minimize inappropriate and unnecessary use of medications. A shared decision-making model along with coordination and collaboration among healthcare providers should be utilized in the selection and management of pharmacotherapies.

[Pharmacotherapy optimization opportunities using fixed combinations in patients with high cardiovascular risk]

This review focuses on the role of arterial hypertension and hyperlipidemia as the most important risk factors of early disability and death. The facts are provided that many persons with those risk factors do not have the adequate control of blood pressure and atherogenic fractions of blood serum lipoproteins. The review addresses prospects for optimizing pharmacotherapy with fixed combinations of drugs for arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia. From the perspective of effective clinical guidelines and the available evidence base, the authors reviewed possibilities for improving the treatment compliance by using combinations of antihypertensive and hypolipidemic drugs in a single dosage form. Implementation of such complex, optimized treatment using a three-component fixed-dose combination is considered.