Alvarez PA, et al. - In this retrospective cohort study, researchers analyzed data from the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial database from 2011 to 2014 in order to assess the prevalence of potentially harmful drug (PHD; drugs that can cause or exacerbate heart failure [HF]) prescription among patients with a diagnosis of systolic HF. In two outpatient encounters, one inpatient encounter as primary diagnosis and/or one inpatient encounter any position, and one outpatient encounter, they assessed PHD prescription as defined by American Heart Association Statement among patients with a HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) diagnosis. They reported a prescription of a PHD as defined by current HF guidelines in almost one-quarter of adult patients with a diagnosis of HFREF. Most frequently prescribed PHD comprised non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (67.4%), followed by antihypertensive (24%), diabetes mellitus (23.3%), neurological and psychiatric (21%), and antiarrhythmic medications (12.6%). A PHD prescription was most frequently reported in relation to female sex, and the presence of a comorbidity was associated with PHD use and polypharmacy.