Which medication is routinely used in heart failure treatment?

Carvedilol is a medication commonly utilized in the management of heart failure due to its dual action as both a beta-blocker and an alpha-1 antagonist. This combination helps to reduce heart rate, lower blood pressure, and decrease the workload on the heart, which is crucial for patients suffering from heart failure. By blocking adrenergic receptors, carvedilol improves cardiac function and has been shown to improve survival rates in heart failure patients, making it a key component of heart failure therapy guidelines.

In contrast, the other medications listed do not have a primary role in heart failure treatment. Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used primarily for pain relief and inflammation, rather than for treating heart conditions. Metformin is an oral hypoglycemic agent used to manage type 2 diabetes and does not address heart failure specifically. Levothyroxine is a thyroid hormone replacement and is used to treat hypothyroidism, again unrelated to the management of heart failure. Thus, carvedilol stands out as the appropriate choice for routine use in heart failure treatment.