Figure 1. Article selection criteria for the scoping review.
| Cardiology Research, ISSN 1923-2829 print, 1923-2837 online, Open Access |
| Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, Cardiol Res and Elmer Press Inc |
| Journal website https://www.cardiologyres.org |
Review
Volume 15, Number 2, April 2024, pages 75-85
Definition of Polypharmacy in Heart Failure: A Scoping Review of the Literature
Figure
Table
| First author, reference | Year published | Definition of polypharmacy in HF patients | What meds did they include or exclude (OTC, vitamins, etc.)? | Article type | Rational for the definition documented | How the definition of polypharmacy used? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HF: heart failure; NSAIDs: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; OTC: over-the-counter. | ||||||
| Albert [11] | 2007 | Use of multiple medications in a complex drug regimen | Not identified | Review | Yes | As in the review |
| Abbas [12] | 2015 | ≥ 5 different prescriptions | Not identified | Retrospective | No | As one of the variables |
| Barcelo [9] | 2014 | > 5 daily medications | Not identified | Retrospective | Yes | As one of the outcomes |
| Baron-Franco [7] | 2017 | ≥ 5 repeat medications | Not identified | Cross-sectional | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Brinker [13] | 2019 | ≥ 10 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Brinker [14] | 2020 | ≥ 10 medications | Included OTC medications | Retrospective | Yes | As one of the variables |
| Altunbas [15] | 2016 | ≥ 6 medications taken concurrently | Included all discharge prescriptions | Retrospective | Yes | As one of the outcomes |
| Alvarez [16] | 2019 | Polypharmacy ≥ 5 medications, excessive polypharmacy ≥ 10 medications | Included all pharmacy claims | Retrospective | No | As one of the variables |
| Cobretti [17] | 2017 | ≥ 5 medications | Included OTC medications | Cross-sectional | Yes | As in the review |
| De Geest [18] | 2004 | ≥ 5 medications simultaneously | Not identified | Review | Yes | As in the review |
| Eijsink [19] | 2015 | ≥ 5 prescriptions | Included all medications that were prescribed | Retrospective | No | As one of the variables and also one of the outcomes |
| El Hadidi [20] | 2020 | ≥ 5 medications | Excluded OTC medications, dietary supplements, herbal medicines | Review | Yes | As in the review |
| Bader [10] | 2017 | > 5 medications | Not identified | Review | Yes | As in the review |
| Bansal [21] | 2020 | > 5 medications | Included all medications that were prescribed | Prospective and retrospective | Yes | As in the review |
| Butrous [22] | 2016 | Chronic use of ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Review | No | As in the review |
| Fentie Wendie [23] | 2020 | Daily consumption of ≥ 5 medications | Included all medications that were prescribed | Prospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Godden [24] | 2014 | Prescription of multiple medications | Included all medications that were prescribed | Retrospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Goyal [25] | 2019 | ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | Yes | As one of the outcomes |
| Guirguis [26] | 2019 | ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | No | As in the review |
| Laroche [27] | 2017 | Excessive polypharmacy ≥ 10 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Parajuli [28] | 2021 | Polypharmacy ≥ 5 medications, hyperpolypharmacy ≥ 10 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | Yes | As one of the outcomes |
| Proietti [29] | 2019 | ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Reed [30] | 2014 | ≥ 4 medications | Not identified | Review | No | As in the review |
| Rushton [31] | 2011 | Multiple drug therapies | Not identified | Review | Yes | As in the review |
| Sritharan [32] | 2020 | ≥ 5 medications | Included OTC medications, supplements, and as-needed medications | Retrospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Ozan [33] | 2019 | ≥ 10 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Unlu [4] | 2020 | ≥ 10 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| von Lueder [34] | 2014 | ≥ 4 concomitant drugs | Not identified | Review | No | As in the review |
| Wu [35] | 2021 | Polypharmacy: use of 5 - 9 medications, hyperpolypharmacy: use of 10 - 14 medications, super hyperpolypharmacy: ≥ 15 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | Yes | As one of the variables |
| Kleipool [36] | 2020 | Chronic use of ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Prospective | Yes | As one of the variables |
| Knafl [37] | 2014 | Chronic use of ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Prospective | Yes | As one of the variables |
| Kumar [38] | 2019 | ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Review | Yes | As in the review |
| Makris [39] | 2020 | Chronic use of ≥ 10 medications | Not identified | Review | Yes | As in the review |
| Malouf [40] | 2020 | ≥ 10 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Martinez-Selles [41] | 2004 | ≥ 6 pills | Included OTC medications | Survey | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Masoudi [42] | 2005 | Prescription of multiple drugs concurrently | Not identified | Retrospective | Yes | As in the review |
| Navid [43] | 2020 | ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Retrospective | No | As one of the variables |
| Niriayo [44] | 2018 | ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Prospective | No | As one of the variables |
| Page 2nd [45] | 2016 | Long-term use of ≥ 5 medications | Included OTC, complementary and alternative meds | Review | Yes | As in the review |
| Parmley [46] | 2000 | Use of 3 - 5 drugs | Not identified | Review | No | As in the review |
| Rich [5] | 2012 | Chronic use of ≥ 5 medications | Included OTC medications and supplements | Review | Yes | As in the review |
| Ruiz-Laiglesia [47] | 2016 | ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Review | No | As in the review |
| Harwood [48] | 2015 | ≥ 5 medications | Included vitamins | Prospective | No | As one of the variables |
| Hornsby [49] | 2017 | ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Prospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Jenghua [50] | 2021 | Polypharmacy ≥ 5 medications, hyperpolypharmacy ≥ 10 medications | Not identified | Retrospective and cross-sectional | Yes | As in the review |
| Rushton [51] | 2014 | 2 or more main drug groups prescribed at the same time | Not identified | Retrospective and cross-sectional | Yes | As one of the outcomes |
| Salyer [3] | 2019 | ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Prospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Screever [52] | 2017 | ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Review | Yes | As in the review |
| Shikata [53] | 2016 | Chronic use of ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Prospective | No | As one of the variables |
| Sunaga [54] | 2020 | ≥ 6 medications | Included NSAIDs | Retrospective | No | As one of the variables |
| Wammes [55] | 2019 | Polypharmacy ≥ 5 prescription medications within a period of 3 months, excessive polypharmacy ≥ 10 prescription medications | Excluded OTC medications | Retrospective | Yes | As one of the variables and also one of the outcomes |
| Fujita [56] | 2019 | ≥ 7 medications | Not identified | Prospective | No | As one of the variables |
| Georgiev [6] | 2019 | Complex drug regimen | Not identified | Retrospective | No | As in the review |
| Unlu [4] | 2020 | ≥ 10 medications | Included multivitamins and electrolyte supplements | Retrospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Haq [57] | 2020 | Complex drug regimen | Not identified | Retrospective and cross-sectional | No | As in the review |
| Hopper [58] | 2016 | ≥ 5 medications | Included potassium supplementation | Prospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Kennel [8] | 2019 | Hyperpolypharmacy ≥ 10 medications | Included topical agents when prescribed, did not include non-prescription medications and dietary supplements | Retrospective and cross-sectional | Yes | As one of the outcomes |
| Kinugasa [59] | 2020 | Greater than or equal to the mean number of prescribed medications in the cohort (≥ 8 or more) | Not identified | Prospective | No | As one of the outcomes |
| Mastromarino [2] | 2014 | Chronic use of ≥ 5 medications | Not identified | Review | Yes | As in the review |