Polypharmacy in Heart Failure: Progress, But Also Problem

Heart failure: not just the heart but also the lungs.

Medical therapy in heart failure--is polypharmacy necessary?

The concept of heart failure has undergone several paradigm shifts in the past few decades. Therapeutic targets directed at the heart pump have shifted to circulatory haemodynamics to the current neurohormonal model. Consequently, therapeutic modalities have similarly evolved alongside clinical trials. Successive trials have tested newer drugs in addition to established therapies, resulting in ...

Heart failure, comorbidities, and polypharmacy among elderly nursing home residents.

INTRODUCTION Heart failure (HF) in the elderly is frequently associated with limited therapeutic options and may cause severe complications. Unfortunately, these patients are often excluded from clinical trials. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between HF, coexisting diseases, and use of medications in patients of advanced age living in nursing homes. PATIEN...

Cinaciguat, a soluble guanylate cyclase activator, unloads the heart but also causes hypotension in acute decompensated heart failure.

AIMS Cinaciguat (BAY 58-2667) is a novel soluble guanylate cyclase activator. This study evaluated the haemodynamic effect and safety of cinaciguat added to standard therapy in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). METHODS AND RESULTS In this placebo-controlled, phase IIb study (NCT00559650), 139 patients admitted with ADHF, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) ≥18 mmHg...

Polypharmacy: Misleading, but manageable

The percentage of the population described as elderly is growing, and a higher prevalence of multiple, chronic disease states must be managed concurrently. Healthcare practitioners must appropriately use medication for multiple diseases and avoid risks often associated with multiple medication use such as adverse effects, drug/drug interactions, drug/disease interactions, and inappropriate dosi...