More than 300 million people in India suffer from hypertension and this study provides a roadmap for drug selection for the South Asian population.

There is news of relief for people struggling with high blood pressure. A study conducted by scientists from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, and Imperial College, London, has shown that a single combo pill taken at a time, which is a combination of two blood pressure-lowering drugs, can effectively control blood pressure.

This study is known as 'Treatment Optimization for Blood Pressure with Single-Pill Combination in India' (TOPSPIN). It involved 1,981 participants, who were 52.1 years old. The study covered people from both urban and rural populations, proving the results to be comprehensive and diverse.

Which drugs were tested?

The study tested three types of two-drug combination pills:

* Amlodipine + Perindopril

* Amlodipine + Indapamide

* Perindopril + Indapamide

All three drugs showed a reduction of about 14/8 mm Hg (ambulatory BP) and 30/14 mm Hg (office BP). BP of 70% of the participants could be controlled up to <140/90 mm Hg.

According to Professor Ambuj Roy of the Department of Cardiology, AIIMS, this single pill is five times more effective than current drugs. The combination of the two drugs is not only safer but also more effective, he added. It is given in low doses, which also reduces the damage.

More than 300 million people in

India suffers from hypertension, and this study provides a roadmap for drug selection for the South Asian population. This model of single-pill therapy is not only convenient but can prove to be a revolutionary step in managing high blood pressure in a country like India.