•Common medicines including cold and flu remedies, indigestion pills, ibuprofen ‘make conditions worse

Ibuprofen, cold and flu remedies and indigestion pills may worsen a heart condition, which affects millions of people, experts warn.

They are also urging patients with heart failure to avoid green tea, grapefruit juice, liquorice and some herbs as this may also weaken the heart.

The American Heart Association is publishing guidelines urging doctors to check the medications of all patients thoroughly to ensure they aren’t inadvertently putting their lives at risk.

The organisation is one of the largest and most influential in the world and the recommendations are being closely heeded by medical professionals here in the United Kingdom (UK).

Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is too weak to pump blood around the body, causing extreme tiredness, breathlessness and swelling of the legs.

It usually develops in patients who have previously suffered a heart attack or stroke, and symptoms tend to deteriorate with time.

But experts are concerned that some common medications cause the body to store excess fluid and salt, which means the heart has to work harder to pump blood through.

This is a particularly problematic in patients with heart failure, whose hearts are already very weak.

Research has shown that heart failure patients taking ibuprofen or similar pills are ten times more at risk of experiencing a flare-up of symptoms and third more likely to be admitted to hospital.

The American Heart Association is urging patients with heart failure not to take ibuprofen or any of a common group of painkillers including ibuprofen known as Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, (NSAIDs).