Researchers in Brazil are testing a polypill that combines two blood pressure medications and one cholesterol drug in a strategy aimed at preventing stroke and other cardiovascular events. The study is also examining whether simplifying treatment into a single daily pill can reduce risk factors linked to cognitive decline and dementia.
The research is being carried out by Hospital Moinhos de Vento in Rio Grande do Sul, in partnership with Brazil's Ministry of Health and the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp). The project is now recruiting volunteers for its second phase, with organizers expecting more than 8,000 participants.
Who the study is targeting
The second phase focuses on people who do not yet have high cardiovascular risk but whose systolic blood pressure falls between 121 and 139 mmHg, a range in which the risk of heart attack and stroke begins to climb progressively.
Researchers plan to follow all participants for at least three years, tracking the effects of the polypill alongside strategies to promote healthier habits, including better diet, regular physical activity and quitting smoking.
Building on early results
The expanded phase follows encouraging findings from the study's first stage, in which participants were monitored for nine months. That group showed a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure, improvements in cardiovascular health markers and greater adherence to exercise routines.
The study has now moved into a larger-scale phase that will also assess the polypill's possible effects on cognitive function, looking at whether the treatment could help prevent cognitive decline and dementia.
Stroke's toll in Brazil
Brazil has one of the largest populations affected by stroke in the world, according to the Brazilian Stroke Society (SBAV). Stroke has become one of the leading causes of death in the country, with a death rate that has surpassed the global average.
The association reported that stroke killed 20,461 people in Brazil between January and March 2026, equivalent to about 229 deaths per month, or nine deaths every hour.
Last year, stroke deaths in Brazil totaled 89,490, according to Ministry of Health data, placing it second only to heart attacks, which caused 91,912 deaths over the same period.
