The Future of Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Polyhype or Polyhope? Tales from the Polyera

 

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Abstract

Recently society has been witnessing the rise of a new era in the prevention and treatment of the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease: the Polyera. This new era started when a promising concept - the Polypill - was introduced by Wald et al. in 2003. The Polypill is a theoretical combination of six pharmacological compounds (a statin, three different antihypertensives, aspirin, and folic acid) that in combination could reduce cardiovascular disease by more than 80%. Although the Polypill could theoretically be a highly effective intervention, it is not yet available in the market and its effectiveness remains unproven. In the population at large, cheap prizes may come at prohibitive costs. With frail elderly and population prevalences of co-morbidity far higher than in drug trials, rare adverse effects may be frequent. In December 2004, a more natural, safer, and probably tastier alternative to the Polypill - the Polymeal - was introduced. Contrary to the Polypill, the Polymeal combined 6 different foods (fruits and vegetables, almonds, chocolate, wine, fish, and garlic) that taken together in a regular basis could cut cardiovascular disease risk by over 75%. Polyproducts from the polyera in true populations might hide unexpected polyinteractions. In the polyera, polytrials will need to establish benefits, harms, and costs.

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Correspondence

Dr. O. H. FrancoMD, DSc, PhD 

Senior Public Health Epidemiologist

Unilever Corporate Research

Colworth Park

Sharnbrook

Bedfordshire MK441LQ

United Kingdom

Phone: +44/123/422 25 57

Fax: +44/123/422 21 61

Email: oscar.franco@unilever.com