“Polypill/statins for over 50s” says founder

Summary

* On March 5th, 2025, headlines in the mainstream media reported “NHS ‘should give all over-50s statins’” and “NHS should offer ‘polypill’ to cut heart disease, experts urge.”

* The headlines came from a press release, which in turn came from an opinion piece in the BMJ. The press release and article were about a polypill, which contained a statin, rather than statins specifically.

* The opinion piece had three authors. One, Nicholas Wald, was the founder of the polypill. The polypill is only available privately (and only in the UK). It costs £235 every 20 weeks. No wonder Wald recommends that everyone in the UK should be given his pill as soon as they reach the age of 50.

* This conflict was not reported by the news media. Reporters had simply written articles based on the press release – something that ChatGPT can do quicker and just as well.

* The polypill was launched (and the patent declared) in a 2003 article by Wald and his co-founder Malcolm Law. The original polypill contained six drugs. The current pill being sold on the polypill website has four drugs – most are different to the original six.

* The BMJ article referenced only one trial as evidence for the strident claims being made. That trial was conducted in villages in rural Iran (for some reason I know not). The polypill used in the Iran trial was different to both the original polypill and the polypill currently being sold. Thus the BMJ article contained no evidence to support the argument for a mass roll out of the current polypill.

* None of this was spotted by 'journalists'. Unless they go beneath press releases, they may as well all be made redundant.