Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 1, 2026

Diagonal Method to Measure Synergy Among Any Number of Drugs
Published on: June 21, 2018
Comorbidities and polypharmacy
Thomas G von Lueder1, Dan Atar1
1Department of Cardiology, Oslo University Hospital Ullevål, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, Oslo 0407, Norway; Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, Oslo 0407, Norway.
Abstract:
Heart failure (HF) is predominantly a disease that affects the elderly population, a cohort in which comorbidities are common. The majority of comorbidities and the degree of their severity have prognostic implications in HF. Polypharmacy in HF is common, has increased throughout the past 2 decades, and may pose a risk for adverse drug interactions, accidental overdosing, or medication nonadherence. Polypharmacy, in particular in the elderly, is rarely assessed in traditional clinical trials, highlighting a need for entirely novel HF research strategies.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients
Drug Toxicity: Risk factors
Drug Therapy
Antianxiety Medications
Pharmacogenetic Phenotypes: Alterations in Pharmacokinetics, Drug Targets and Biologic Milieu
Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Disease States and Pharmacology
Substances such as alcohol and specific drugs, including antineoplastics, can also negatively impact drug absorption. For instance,...
Drug toxicity: Drug–Drug Interaction
