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A three-in-one blood pressure pill can slash the risk of stroke survivors suffering another one by almost 40%, a study found. The daily tablet, known as GMRx2, combines three low-dose medicines already used on the NHS. It could make life easier and improve blood pressure control for patients who struggle to remember to take multiple pills.

Principal investigator Professor Craig Anderson, a senior fellow at The George Institute, said: "Lowering blood pressure is the only proven method to prevent another stroke, yet achieving good blood pressure control is a real challenge. One big issue is that the number and doses of antihypertensive medications are not increased when needed and doctors and patients struggle with complex pill regimens.

"Our study showed that GMRx2 cut the risk of another stroke by 39%. These findings could translate to important treatment benefits for the millions of people affected by intracerebral haemorrhage worldwide who face a high risk of having another one."

An intracerebral haemorrhage is a type of stroke characterised by bleeding in the brain. The trial involved 1,670 patients who had experienced this type of stroke and had systolic blood pressure measurements of between 130-160mmHg.

They were monitored for an average of three years and 4.6% of those receiving the triple pill suffered another stroke, compared with 7.4% in the group receiving standard care and a placebo pill.

Analysis showed one stroke was prevented for every 35 patients treated with GMRx2. The combination pill contains telmisartan 20mg, amlodipine 2.5mg, and indapamide 1.25mg.

Professor Anderson said the pill helped more patients reach target blood pressure levels. He added: "These study results have the potential to mark a real shift in how we manage blood pressure following a stroke.

"We hope GMRx2 is approved for this indication by regulatory authorities throughout the world, and if so that it is widely used as an effective approach with the potential to improve the outcome for patients affected by intracerebral haemorrhage, and also ischaemic stroke, across the globe."

Almost 17 million people worldwide have experienced intracerebral haemorrhage. Around one in four survivors will later die from a recurrent stroke or cardiovascular disease.

Professor Jeyaraj Pandian, president of the World Stroke Organisation, said the results were "a major advance in showing the enormous benefits of effective blood pressure control after an intracerebral haemorrhage, and a simple and effective strategy in which this can be achieved, with relevance to patients all over the world."