TIPS-3 — The International Polycap Study 3

TIPS-3 asked whether a simple preventive strategy combining established cardiovascular medicines could reduce heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events before people developed known cardiovascular disease. The International Polycap Study 3 was a large, double-blind randomized trial involving 5,713 adults at intermediate cardiovascular risk across nine countries.

The trial tested a fixed-dose combination called the Polycap, low-dose aspirin and monthly vitamin D. Its factorial design allowed each intervention to be evaluated within one international study. The main results showed fewer cardiovascular events with the combination of Polycap and aspirin than with double placebo.

TIPS-3 also documented the practical conditions required to run a multinational prevention trial. Recruitment, regulation, medication importation, adherence and follow-up were part of the research experience, not separate administrative details.