Keeping your patient with heart failure safe - A review of potentially dangerous medications

Heart failure (HF) is a significant health problem in the United States, with a prevalence of 5 million patients and 500 000 new diagnoses each year.(1) Heart failure is also a significant health care-dollar expenditure, with 5.4% of the health care budget contributing to its treatment.(1) Furthermore, it is a disease of the elderly, affecting 6% to 10% of those older than 65 years.(2) Since the elderly with concomitant disease states are highly affected, polypharmacy may be more problematic in this subpopulation.