Pharmacotherapy of Chronic Heart Failure in the Elderly: A Review of the Evidence

Heart failure (HF) is a very prevalent disease in the United States and in Europe, with the highest prevalence among older patients. Population estimates suggest substantial growth among the elderly over the next four decades. However, older patients are underrepresented in clinical trials evaluating HF therapies and are less likely to receive the medications shown in these trials to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with HF. Age-related differences exist in cardiovascular function that may affect disease progression, clinical presentation, and/or response to therapy. Further, medication use in older patients is complicated by physiologic changes in pharmacokinetics and the presence of multiple co-morbidities, which leads to polypharmacy and the related complications. We reviewed the pharmacotherapy clinical trials in HF to review the results specifically in older patients. Trials were included in this review if clinical endpoints were evaluated, if data regarding the participants’ age was reported, and if the intervention studied was in a medication class that is generally recommended for patients with HF by published guidelines. Although some non-randomized data shows benefits of standard therapies may be maintained among patients with HF ≥ 60 years old, the randomized controlled trials that have been published to date showed no benefit and no harm in this group. Cautious HF management among older patients is critical as additional evidence is pursued.