Combined therapy for hypertension and dyslipidemia (high cholesterol level) can reduce cardiovascular disease risk by over half, said a study result made public Thursday by the University of Hong Kong.

The study, headed by the university's faculty of medicine, was the world's first large-scale clinical trial to assess the real-world clinical effectiveness and safety of combined therapy for the management of hypertension and dyslipidemia. It involved a total of 1,649 patients in 27 countries and regions.

Patients involved in the study took a single-pill combination of amlodipine besylate and atovastatin calcium to treat both hypertension and dyslipidemia over 14 weeks.

Improvements in blood pressure and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were observed as early as four weeks into the trial. By the end of the trial period, a mean percentage reduction in cardiovascular risk of 58 percent was observed in Hong Kong patients.

Results of the study have been released in October 2006 at the 21st Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Hypertension in Japan.

(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2007)