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July 8, 2026Circulation
Deprescribing in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease Experiencing Polypharmacy: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Why the study?
There is limited guidance on managing polypharmacy and implementing deprescribing strategies across the life span in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Key Points
- Deprescribing both cardiac and noncardiac medications reduces inappropriate prescribing in cardiovascular disease, thereby improving clinical outcomes across the lifespan.
- Scientific statement evaluates polypharmacy consequences across pediatric, adult, and older populations, outlining validated deprescribing tools and clinical trigger cues.
- Highlights the critical necessity for multidisciplinary shared decision-making across healthcare teams, which addresses persistent structural barriers to reduce polypharmacy.
Structured PICO
P
Population
Patients with cardiovascular disease experiencing polypharmacy across the age spectrum (pediatric, adult, and older adult populations)
I
Intervention
Deprescribing strategies (including observing clinical cues and triggers, using validated deprescribing tools, engaging in shared decision-making, and leveraging health care teams)
This AHA scientific statement provides comprehensive guidance and tailored strategies for deprescribing in cardiovascular patients experiencing polypharmacy across all age groups.
Key expert perspectives
Captured external expert commentary on this paper, strongest first. Original sources are linked where available.
“Deprescribing should be an integral component of optimal prescribing in all patients with CVD, especially those experiencing polypharmacy.”
“Deprescribing is a core component of high-quality CV care, defined as supervised dose reduction or discontinuation to optimize medication use and align treatment with patient goals, prognosis, and preferences.”
AJACC Journal Scan HighlightCardiology
“Supports deprescribing assessment in CVD polypharmacy across ages; extends prior evidence beyond older adults to the full lifespan.”
Implication
Supports deprescribing assessment in CVD polypharmacy across ages; extends prior evidence beyond older adults to the full lifespan.
Abstract
Polypharmacy in patients with cardiovascular disease occurs frequently across the age spectrum and can lead to inappropriate prescribing and adverse outcomes. Despite polypharmacy being a known problem for decades, there is limited guidance describing how to manage polypharmacy in patients with cardiovascular disease, including when and how to initiate deprescribing strategies. Although polypharmacy can occur at any age, studies often focus on older adults. The prevalence and consequences of polypharmacy, coupled with current gaps in the deprescribing literature, highlight the need for a scientific statement focused on deprescribing in all patients with cardiovascular disease. Deprescribing can improve outcomes and can apply to both cardiovascular and noncardiovascular drugs because both contribute to polypharmacy and poor outcomes associated with inappropriate prescribing in patients with cardiovascular disease. This scientific statement reviews the consequences of polypharmacy in patients with cardiovascular disease and provides tailored deprescribing strategies across the life span, with an emphasis on the unique considerations in pediatric, adult, and older adult populations. These strategies include observing clinical cues and triggers, using validated deprescribing tools, engaging in shared decision-making, and leveraging the roles of all members of the health care team to address barriers to deprescribing. Last, this scientific statement highlights current challenges related to polypharmacy and deprescribing and suggests some strategies to address them.
Discussion
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Cite This Study
DiDomenico et al. (2026) conducted a review in Cardiovascular disease experiencing polypharmacy. Deprescribing was evaluated. Deprescribing in patients with cardiovascular disease experiencing polypharmacy can improve outcomes through tailored strategies, validated tools, and shared decision-making across the life span.