- With Mayo Clinic cardiologist
Martha Grogan, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Martha Grogan, M.D.
Martha Grogan, M.D.
Dr. Martha Grogan is board-certified in internal medicine and cardiovascular diseases. She is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, and received her medical degree from Northwestern University Medical School. Dr. Grogan has been on staff at Mayo Clinic since 1995 and is a consultant in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and is an assistant professor of medicine at Mayo Medical School.
Dr. Grogan is a noninvasive cardiologist specializing in heart failure, adult congenital heart disease and echocardiography. She has witnessed firsthand the importance of patient education in the treatment of diseases such as congestive heart failure and is excited about the tremendous educational opportunities now available through the Internet.
Risk factors (2)
- Calcium supplements: A risk factor for heart attack?
- Silent heart attack: What are the risks?
Symptoms (1)
- Trouble breathing: Could it be asthma?
Causes (2)
- Vitamin D deficiency: Can it cause high blood pressure?
- Omega-6 fatty acids: Can they cause heart disease?
Treatments and drugs (2)
- Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
- Coronary artery disease: Angioplasty or bypass surgery?
Lifestyle and home remedies (5)
- Butter vs. margarine: Which is better for my heart?
- Air pollution and exercise: Is outdoor exercise risky?
- Grass-fed beef: What are the heart-health benefits?
- see all in Lifestyle and home remedies
Prevention (8)
- Olive oil: What are the health benefits?
- Can vitamins help prevent a heart attack?
- Heart attack prevention: Should I avoid secondhand smoke?
- see all in Prevention
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Question
Polypill: Does it treat heart disease?
What is the polypill? Can it prevent or treat heart disease?
Answer
from Martha Grogan, M.D.
The term "polypill" describes a pill that contains a combination of several medications commonly used to treat heart disease and high blood pressure. Doctors aren't sure what exact combination of medications should be included in a polypill. It's thought that low doses of each of these medications could be effective:
- Aspirin
- Water pills (diuretics)
- Cholesterol-lowering medications (statins)
- Medications to make your heart beat with less force (beta blockers)
- Medications to help keep your blood vessels open (ACE inhibitors)
The polypill is still being studied and isn't available for sale yet in the United States. Who should take the polypill is still being considered. Doctors are trying to see if the polypill should be given as a preventive measure for people who haven't had a heart attack or stroke or as a treatment option for people who have already had a heart attack or stroke.
Next questionCoronary artery disease: Angioplasty or bypass surgery?
- The Indian Polycap Study (TIPS). Effects of a polypill (Polycap) on risk factors in middle-aged individuals without cardiovascular disease (TIPS): A phase II, double-blind, randomised trial. The Lancet. 2009;373:1341.
- Wald DS, et al. The polypill in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Fundamental and Clinical Pharmacology. 2010;24:29.
- PILL Collaborative Group. An international randomised placebo-controlled trial of a four-component combination pill ("polypill") in people with raised cardiovascular risk. PLoS One. 2011;6:e19857.
- Lonn E, et al. The polypill in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases: Key concepts, current status, challenges, and future directions. Circulation. 2010;122:2078.
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