New stroke drug to bring hope to many?

A trial of a drug for over-50s designed to prevent the occurrence of strokes and heart attacks has begun in the UK today, reports say.

The polypill is a daily tablet containing a number of low-dose drugs and is intended to cut cholesterol and blood pressure, according to The Guardian.

Professor Sir Nicholas Ward and Prof Malcolm Law from the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine at Queen Mary University, London originally conceived the idea in 2003 and hope that the trial will be the first step in making the drug available for over-50s.

The trial is to study 100 people - one group taking the pill and the other consuming placebos for 12 weeks.

After 24 weeks, participants will take the pill for two more years in order for researchers to look into the long term effects.

This comes after news that wintry weather conditions can increase the chance of individuals experiencing a stroke due to its tendency to increase blood pressure.

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