Keeping your patient with heart failure safe: a review of potentially dangerous medications.

H eart failure (HF) is a significant health problem in the United States, with a prevalence of 5 million patients and 500000 new diagnoses each year. Heart failure is also a significant health care–dollar expenditure, with 5.4% of the health care budget contributing to its treatment. Furthermore, it is a disease of the elderly, affecting 6% to 10% of those older than 65 years. Since the elderly with concomitant disease states are highly affected, polypharmacy may be more problematic in this subpopulation.