A "polypill" packed with four different medications to treat high blood pressure and high cholesterol can cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes by up to 40 per cent when taken with aspirin, a study has suggested. Scientists have also found that when taken on its own on a daily basis, the polypill may reduce the risk of cardiovascular events by about 20 per cent among those who had no previous heart disease or stroke incidents but were at intermediate risk. The researchers say the findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, could help save millions of people from experiencing serious heart disease or stroke each year. They also said the medication is convenient for patients to use as it combines multiple drugs in a single pill that can be taken once a day. Prem Pais, co-principal investigator of the study and professor of St John's Medical College and Research Institute in Bangalore, India, said: "A polypill is not only effective, it is likely to be cost effective since it is based on using commonly-used generic drugs. "A polypill is convenient for patients to use as it combines several effective drugs in a single pill and is taken once a day, which would be expected to improve adherence." Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of deaths globally, taking nearly 18 million lives each year, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).