Final answer:
Anti-hypertension medication that can be harmful to patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction includes non-selective beta blockers, which might lead to deleterious effects such as bradycardia or heart stoppage. Additionally, ACE inhibitors are contraindicated in pregnant patients due to potential fetal harm.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking about which anti-hypertension (anti-HTN) medication can be harmful to patients with a low left ventricular ejection fraction (LV EF). In patients with compromised heart function, such as a low LV EF, certain hypertension medications can worsen their condition. Particularly, non-selective beta-blockers could potentially be harmful because they could further decrease heart rate (HR) and contractility, leading to bradycardia or even cardiac stoppage.
The underlying mechanism is that norepinephrine (NE) binds to the beta-1 receptor, and beta blockers impede this interaction, which can mitigate the stress on the heart but may also exacerbate the problem in patients with already reduced cardiac output due to low LV EF. In addition, pregnant patients should avoid taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) as they can cause serious fetal complications such as renal failure and cranial bone abnormalities.