Heart attacks and strokes are among the leading causes of death globally, with millions suffering from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) every year. There are more than seven million people in the UK alone, with about 100,000 patients experiencing heart attacks annually. However, a group of researchers at University College London (UCL) estimate that one 'polypill' taken daily day could eliminate a majority of these cases dramatically lowering death tolls.

The proposed polypill, a combination of a statin and three blood pressure-lowering drugs, has been under study for over two decades. Experts argue that introducing this pill universally for individuals aged 50 and above could be more effective than the current NHS Health Check, which assesses risk factors every five years for those aged between 40 and 74.

Studies have repeatedly proven the effectiveness of the polypill in preventing CVD. A groundbreaking 2019 study in The Lancet found that five years' use of the polypill cut the risk of heart attack and stroke by a third. In addition, previous modelling analyses have estimated that if given universally to people over 55, the polypill might be able to prevent 80% of heart attacks and strokes.

Today, the NHS Health Check follows a risk-based model in which patients are tested for CVD risk factors and treated with drugs accordingly. Yet, as per UCL's study, this system has serious flaws:

Low Uptake: Just 40% of those eligible for the NHS Health Check choose to have it, leaving a considerable number of at-risk patients undiagnosed and untreated.

Ineffective Prediction of Risk: The majority of heart attacks and strokes happen to people at average risk levels, thus making it challenging to identify the need for intervention effectively.

Limited Effectiveness: Even at maximum take-up, the NHS Health Check programme is predicted to have fewer health impacts compared to a polypill initiative applied to the whole population.

Simplicity and Affordability of the Polypill Strategy

One of the big benefits of the polypill is that it is so easy. In contrast to the existing screening-based model, the polypill scheme would not involve complicated medical tests or lengthy risk assessments. Instead, people reaching 50 would just have to fill out a few questions to determine possible side effects before they were prescribed.

Professor Aroon Hingorani of the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science, one of the strongest proponents of this scheme, says:

"Finally, the time is now to do much better on prevention. A population approach would prevent a lot more heart attacks and strokes than is done today with a strategy of trying to target a smaller group only."

Aside from the possible health implications, the polypill is also an economic solution. The drugs used are off-patent, thus cheap to produce and distribute. With the vast economic cost of managing CVD-related illnesses, a preventive model could result in substantial cost-saving for the NHS in the future.

The polypill has been proven to be effective by numerous international trials. In 2019, a randomised trial in rural Iran discovered that participants who took the polypill for five years had a 34% reduced risk of having a heart attack or stroke compared to non-participants.

Likewise, modelling research has indicated that even if only 8% of people aged over 50 took up the polypill regimen, it would still be more beneficial to their health than the NHS Health Check programme.

Is This a Case of Over-Medicalisation?

One of the main objections to the polypill strategy is the suggestion that it might result in the unnecessary medicalisation of a significant proportion of the population. But, it is argued, it should be considered as a preventative measure, not as mass medication.

Professor Sir Nicholas Wald of UCL's Institute of Health Informatics explains:

"Instead of being a 'medicalisation' of a significant proportion of the population, a polypill programme is a prevention measure to prevent an individual from becoming a patient."

He compares it with public health measures like water fluoridation or compulsory seatbelts—interventions that have been shown to have a significant impact in reducing public health danger at low individual cost.

With the evidence in favour of the polypill's effectiveness and viability overwhelming, experts are calling on the NHS to act now. It is their belief that substituting the NHS Health Check with a polypill-based prevention program could be the UK government's flagship policy under its pledge to put disease prevention ahead of cure.

As Professor Hingorani points out, "The status quo is not a justifiable option." With CVD still a major cause of death globally, taking a population-wide polypill approach could be a turning point for preventative medicine, potentially saving thousands of lives annually. The question now is whether the NHS will take up this call and establish a policy with the potential to transform the prevention of cardiovascular disease on a national level.

Three suspected hantavirus patients have been evacuated from the ship and are on their way to receive medical care in the Netherlands, said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, today.

The three patients evacuated from the MV Hondius cruise ship include

• a 56-year-old British national,
• a 65-year-old from Germany,
• a 41-year-old from the Netherlands.

The WHO chief noted that the global health agency “continues to work with the ship’s operators to closely monitor the health of passengers and crew, working with countries to support appropriate medical follow-up and evacuation where needed”.

“Monitoring and follow-up for passengers on board and for those who have already disembarked has been initiated in collaboration with the ship’s operators and national health authorities,” Dr Ghebreyesus said.

Hantavirus: 8 Suspected Cases, 3 Deaths

Also read: Hantavirus: Symptoms, Risks, and Prevention

Some passengers aboard the Hondius began experiencing serious health complications after the ship, carrying about 150 passengers, departed Argentina on April 1.

Initially, it was considered a severe acute respiratory infection; later, three people died.

• April 11: A 70-year-old Dutch national became the first passenger to die while on board the ship. His death has not yet been confirmed as due to hantavirus.
• April 24: The man’s 69-year-old wife travelled alongside her husband’s body from St Helena, a British island in the South Atlantic, to Johannesburg. Her condition deteriorated during a flight the next day, and she was taken to the hospital.
• April 26: The woman died in a hospital in South Africa. She is the first confirmed hantavirus case.
• April 27: A second sick passenger, a British national, was flown to South Africa and remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital with hantavirus.
• May 2: A German national died while on the ship; it is unclear if the passenger was infected.
• May 5: The Swiss government announced that a man who travelled home from his trip from South America on the MV Hondius cruise ship at the end of April visited the University Hospital Zurich after experiencing symptoms. He was immediately placed in isolation, with authorities saying there is no danger to the public. His wife, who accompanied him, has not shown symptoms but is also isolating as a precaution.
• May 6: WHO announces the evacuation of three infected passengers.

What Is Hantavirus?

Also read: Hantavirus Outbreak: How The Rare Rodent-Borne Virus Spreads

According to the WHO, hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that naturally infect rodents and are occasionally transmitted to humans.

Symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea

Hantavirus: The Andes strain?

A team of scientists at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases identified the strain of hantavirus linked to the cases.

In a presentation to parliament, the South African health minister said the Andes strain of hantavirus, which can spread human-to-human, had been identified in two people who disembarked from the cruise ship.

The Andes virus is the only hantavirus strain with documented human-to-human transmission and is more commonly found in South America.

Some people love tea, some can't get enough of coffee, but rarely does one think about if the same could influence disease risk later in life. According to a new study, women's risk of osteoporosis could be influenced by their choice of tea or coffee. Osteoporosis is a common occurrence in women aged 50 years and above. Statistics suggest that one in three women will likely be diagnosed with the disease, which renders the body incapable of replacing old bone after it undergoes wear and tear. This means bones become weak, brittle, and more prone to fractures. Bone problems at an advanced age in women can also slow down healing.

High-risk groups for osteoporosis

Older women are at a higher risk of osteoporosis, and that is because of oestrogen. Oestrogen supports bone metabolism, and its levels drop after menopause. Surgery can help remove a woman's ovaries, thereby resulting in the same effect. Researchers at Flinders University in Australia evaluated tea- and coffee-drinking habits of approximately 9,700 US women aged 65 years and above. Participants were required to self-report their tendencies in the survey on four occasions over a 10-year period.

The study also gathered data on women's bone health, measuring bone mineral density in the hip and the narrow connection to the hip with X-ray beams to deduce mineral levels in the bone. Researchers found that women who regularly drank tea had significantly higher hip BMD than those who did not. This could be because of tea compounds known as catechins that could provide the boost cells need to build strong bones. Even smaller differences can significantly improve bone health.

What are the benefits of tea for women's health?

Researchers noted that tea intake could be particularly beneficial for women dealing with obesity. Coffee habits, alternatively, had a different impact on BMD. Studies suggest that women who drank more than five cups of coffee a day were more likely to have lower BMD levels, thereby suggesting that caffeine can negatively affect calcium absorption in the body. Furthermore, experts noted that drinking any amount of coffee can reduce BMD levels in women, especially those who consumed high levels of alcohol.

Scientists note that, because of the limited scope of the study, more research is required in this area to ascertain the results. However, the study offers insights into the possible benefits of drinking tea for women living with osteoporosis. It can go a long way in improving overall wellness and long-term bone health in women.

The research is published in Nutrients.

A team of scientists at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases has identified the strain of the Hantavirus that has caused three deaths and infected seven so far aboard the MV Hondius ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

In a presentation to the parliament today, the South African Health Minister revealed that the Andes strain of hantavirus, which spreads human-to-human, has been identified in two people who came off the cruise ship.

“Incredible work of @nicd_sa, South Africa, in sequencing the #hantavirus. There has been excellent collaboration as @WHO

works to coordinate efforts and actions of governments, experts around the world, the Ship to keep people safe,” said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the World Health Organization (WHO), in a post on social media platform X.

The NICD scientists found that the Andes strain was the cause of infection in a Dutch woman who died in Johannesburg, and a British man who is still in hospital. Both had become ill on the ship, Reuters reported.

“This is the only strain that is known to cause human-to-human transmission, but such transmission is very rare and, as said earlier, only happens due to very close contact,” the Minister said.

Other strains of hantavirus are more commonly transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents or their urine, droppings, or saliva.

Also read: Hantavirus Outbreak: WHO Flags 6 Suspected Cases; How The Rare Rodent-Borne Virus Spreads

What is Hantavirus? How Deadly Is The Andes Strain?

As per the WHO, hantaviruses are zoonotic viruses that naturally infect rodents and are occasionally transmitted to humans.

Globally, an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 hantavirus infections occur each year. The majority of these cases are in Asia, particularly China. Most are sporadic or occur in small clusters, linked to contact with infected rodents.

“Hantaviruses are a group of viruses carried by rodents that can cause severe disease in humans. Infection with hantaviruses is found in many parts of the world. Thousands of infections are estimated to occur each year," Van Kerkhove said.

The Ande virus is the only strain of virus with documented human-to-human transmission. It is more common in South America.

"Although uncommon, limited human‑to‑human transmission of HPS due to the Andes virus has been reported in community settings involving close and prolonged contact. Secondary infections among healthcare workers have been previously documented in healthcare facilities, though they remain rare,” WHO said in its situation report.

The WHO also currently assesses the risk to the global population from this event as low and will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and update the risk assessment as more information becomes available.

"People really do need to understand that there are different degrees of person-to-person transmission," said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist with the University of Saskatchewan's Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, as quoted by CBS News.

Read More: Hantavirus on Cruise Ship: Symptoms, Risks, and Prevention

In the case of hantavirus, individual people are usually the end of the line, Rasmussen said, noting that this makes this cluster of cases unusual.

"So this virus — right now anyways — doesn't seem to be as big a risk as something like flu," the expert said.

While symptoms might not appear for weeks, the strain can escalate quickly, leading to severe respiratory failure with a death rate of roughly 40 per cent.